My Own Family
by Savoren
Summary: Abused six-year old Harry and his stuffed animal, Max, try to find his daydream family. The only thing Harry wants is to be loved; will he and Max be able to find him a family? Warning: Severus was adopted by Minerva and Albus when he was in his second year at Hogwarts. OOC, AU, Sev de-age, Corporal Punishment, Abuse, Foul Language
1. Daydream Family

**My Own Family**

 **Chapter One: Daydream Family**

 **Warning: Abuse, language, AU, OOC, corporal punishment.**

 ***Severus was adopted by Albus and Minerva when he was in his second year at Hogwarts**

 **Dedicated to Wandamarie**

Laying on his mattress, Harry closed his eyes and daydreamed. Daydreaming is the best part of his day: in his daydreams there is no pain, no yelling, no hate - just love. He daydreamed of a family that loved him. In his daydreams his family always hold him close and read him bedtime stories about a cute animals or even a choo-choo train that "thinks he can."

 _Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon only ever read to Dudley. . . I wish they would read to me._ He sniffled and held in his whimpers as he curled in a ball on his thin mattress. _I wish I had a mommy and daddy. I wish somebody loved me. Why doesn't Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon love me? What did I do? I truly must be a bad boy - just like Aunt Petunia says._

It has been six years since he was placed into his aunt and uncle's care. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that someday he would be rescued, it is days like these where this hope begins to fade away and his daydreams feel like his only hope of happiness.

Curling into a tighter ball, Harry clenched his eyes shut and forced himself to focus on his imaginary family.

A bang on the closet door caused Harry's daydream to shatter. "Freak! Get the Hell out of there and make my damn breakfast! Stop being such a lazy shit all the time! You are fuckin' six-years old - I shouldn't have to wake your lazy ass up every damn day!"

Flinching at his uncle's scream, Harry wished he could disappear into his daydream again. Knowing that if he didn't do as his uncle said as soon as possible, he wouldn't be eating supper, Harry got on his knees and crawled out of the closet. Once out of the dark closet, he stood and slowly made his way to the kitchen.

Leaving out a sad sigh, Harry thought about his happy little, pretend family as he cracked eggs into the skillet. _Why can't that family be my real family?_

"While we are out shopping for Dudley's fall school clothes, you will mow the lawn, weed the garden and scrub the bathroom. When I get home, if I can't see my reflection on the toilet you will regret it. Am I understood, Freak?!" Vernon snapped from his seat at the table. He barely looked at him as he threatened him and then returned to reading the newspaper.

Knowing exactly what his uncle expected of him, Harry gave a small nod and continued to cook. "Yes, Uncle Vernon."

Throwing the boy a glare, Vernon narrowed his eyes at the paper. "Aren't you done cooking yet?! You're so fuckin' slow!"

Biting his lip from saying something he would surely regret. Harry continued to flip the scrambled eggs. "The eggs need to be thoroughly cooked, Uncle Vernon."

Scrambling to his over-sized feet, Vernon lunged toward the boy and roughly grabbed his collar bone, "Is that back talk I hear coming from your freakish mouth?!" Giving him a shake, Vernon continued to yell at Harry - spittle flying from his mouth. "I'll teach you to respect your elders!" Hitting him upside the head, Vernon grumbled foul words under his breath and then returned to his seat at the table. "Finish up!"

Taking in shaky, uneven breaths, Harry tried to calm his nerves. It's not like this is the first time he has been rough-housed by his uncle but every single time still scares the daylights out of him!

With his eyes closed, he quickly tried to reclaim his nerves and then flipped the eggs one last time. He flinched as he noticed a tiny bit of dark brown on the yellow eggs. _Uncle Vernon is going to flip!_

Vernon took a sniff of the air and immediately glared daggers at the boy. "Did you burn breakfast?"

Biting his lip, Harry twiddled his fingers behind his back. "I-it's not burnt, Uncle Vernon. It's just a little brown."

Infuriated, Vernon jumped to his feet and smacked the skillet out of Harry's small hands. Pointed at the mess on the floor, Vernon grabbed the back of Harry's neck and forced him down on his hands and knees. "Clean this shit up, Freak!"

Forcibly blinking his tears away, Harry quickly tried to pick all the pieces of egg up off the floor. It's best to clean up as fast as possible - you never know if Uncle Vernon will decide to give him a swift kick while in this position.

Entering the kitchen, Petunia wrinkled her nose at the smell and scene before her. "What did he do this time?" She snapped irritably as she walked around Harry's mess to get to the table.

Vernon grumbled about Harry's stupidity and lack of ability to do anything correct. Then, moving into the family room, he called to Petunia, "Tuney, get Diddykins. We will go to the cafe before going on our shopping trip."

Standing from the table, she looked down at Harry in disgust. With her lip curled, she said in an icy tone, "You will never amount to anything. Six-years old and can't even cook scrambled eggs. . . Pathetic! You're just like your good-for-nothing parents!" Looking around the kitchen, she snarled, "I expect this kitchen to be sparkling by the time we return home or Vernon will break in his new belt we are buying today. Am I understood, Freak?"

Keeping his eyes lowered to the ground, Harry gave a small nod of his head and replied in a timid voice, "Yes, Aunt Petunia." He stayed crouched on the kitchen floor, unmoving until he heard his aunt, uncle and cousin close the front door behind them.

Leaving out a heart-broken, pent up sob, Harry stood from his position and stretched his muscles.

Taking the "ruined" scrambled eggs, Harry put them on a plate and sat down to eat. He ate what he could until he felt as if his stomach would burst from over-eating.

Slouching on the wooden seat, Harry let out a sigh and closed his eyes. _They are never going to love me. They are never going to be like my daydream family._ Opening his wet, emerald eyes, Harry felt his heart pound furiously with determination: _Why do I have to put up with them? They don't love me. They don't even claim me as their nephew! I can make my own family. I can leave and find someone to love me! My daydream family is out there somewhere - if they weren't real then I wouldn't have the daydreams about them._ Standing from the seat, Harry left his used plate on the table and scurried to his cupboard under the stairs.

Inside the cupboard he grabbed Dudley's hole-filled, red sweatshirt, his plastic army men (which he shoved in his trouser pocket) and last but definitely not least, Max.

Max used to be one of Dudley's stuffed animals. One day Dudley got mad while playing a video game and ripped Max's head off. The next day, when Harry was cleaning Dudley's bedroom, Harry took Max and sewed the stuffed animal back together in his cupboard. Sure Max looks like a Frankenstein bear with a missing eye but he is Harry's stuffed bear and Harry loves him with all of his heart.

With the hole-filled sweatshirt on and his army men in his pocket, Harry held Max tight in his arms and took a deep, nervous breath. Standing in front of the door, Harry couldn't help but feel terrified with all the "what if's": _What if they find me and punish me for running away? What if my daydream family isn't real? What if no one will ever love me except Max?_

Opening his eyes, Harry forced himself to gather his courage and open the door.

Looking outside, Harry glanced around to look for any nosy neighbors. Seeing none, he forced himself to take that one step and exit the house. Once outside, he shuddered and pulled the over-sized sweatshirt closer to himself. Holding Max tight, Harry stared at the long, treacherous sidewalk. _There is still time, I could turn around and go back but if I do that I will never be loved and I will never find my daydream family._ Taking a deep, shaky breath, Harry started down the pathway toward the sidewalk.

After an hour of walking (towards where? He has no idea), Harry could barely feel his nose anymore. Dudley's sweatshirt was barely keeping the chilly wind from hitting his skin. Shivering, Harry looked around the sidewalk. A half an hour ago he no longer recognized where he was, now he couldn't even guess where he is.

Hiding Max inside Dudley's sweatshirt, Harry rubbed his stuffed animal's belly and whispered, "It's going to be okay, Max. I will keep you warm."

Glancing around himself, Harry let out a deep, sad sigh. _Where do I even start to find my daydream family? There is Babies "R" Us for when you want a new baby but there is no Families "R" Us for when you want a new family. . ._

Hearing a speeding vehicle, Harry moved into the grass (not trusting that the speeding triple decker bus wouldn't wreck up onto the sidewalk). He stared at the purple bus with wide eyes filled with fascination. _I have never seen a bus like that before!_

He stumbled backwards and held tighter to Max as he noticed the bus slowing down and come to a stop beside him. The side-door opened and out stepped a man with a squirelly looking face and ruffled, brown hair.

The man didn't even glance up from his paper as he said in a rushed voice, "Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike and I will be your conductor this evening."

Harry frowned and furrowed his brow, "Witch or wizard?"

Stan looked up from his paper and saw the six-year old boy. "What are you playing at? Where are your parents?"

Harry bit his lip and held tighter to Max. "Um, I'm not playing."

Stan frowned, "Where are you parents?"

"I-I need a ride to them," Harry mumbled. Harry held Max tight against his chest, fully believing that his bear would protect him from any dangerous strangers.

Stan kept a frown on his face but stepped to the side, "What is your name, child?"

Harry entered the bus and stared at the beds with wide, confused eyes. _This is peculiar._ He barely heard Stan's question and he quickly tried to make up a name. Thinking of his first grade teacher's name, Mrs. White, Harry used her last name. "My name is James White." He quickly glanced at the man, hoping he would believe his lie.

Stan pointed to the bed, "Take a seat, James, and hold on tight."

Harry quickly did as he was told and looked around at the sleeping forms around him. He overheard an elderly lady talking about a place called the Leaky Cauldron. He could feel Stan staring at him and so he looked up at the man. "Can I help you?"

Stan sighed as if annoyed with the little boy. "You never told me where I need to take you."

"Oh." Harry could feel his heart pounding with nervousness. "Um, the Leaky Cauldron, sir." As soon as he told Stan this, the bus jumped forward and sped off down the road. Harry held on the bed as tight as he could, his knuckles turned white and even then he wished he could hold on tighter. _Who gave this man a license?_

Looking around the bus some more, Harry felt himself shudder as he saw a head hanging from the rear-view mirror. Just when he thought things couldn't get any weirder, he heard the head talk to Stan. _I must have fallen asleep. This has to be dream!_ Pinching himself, Harry winced and realized he was, in fact, awake.

Stan stared at the boy with a curious look, "Are you sure your parents are at the Leaky Cauldron?"

Harry gave a quick nod, "Yes, sir. I-I was at a friend's house and they told me to take this bus and meet them at the Leaky Cauldron." A little white lie never hurt anyone.

Much to Harry's surprise, the Knight bus came a sudden stop. Harry held on with all of his might and clenched his eyes closed. _Where are their seat belts?!_

Stan walked over to Harry's bed and helped the little boy off the bed, "We are here. Don't worry about paying, Ernie said it's on the house." He stood and watched until Harry entered the pub.

Looking around the dark building, Harry noticed tons of people sitting around the long table drinking drinks he had never seen before. His eyes grew wide and felt as if they could pop out of his head when he noticed a couple of the people stirring their drinks with a stick and saying Latin words.

 _Where am I? Why are these people so weird?_

A plump, giddy lady came up to him and sized him up and down, "Little one, where are you parents?"

Harry sighed and wished people would stop asking him that, "Um. I'm supposed to meet them here." He looked at the table and caught eyes with a pale, sleek man with long black hair. This man's eyes did not seem friendly since they were a deep black - it felt as if the man could suck his soul out just by looking at him.

The lady nodded, "In that case I will set up a room for you. You look peaky and tired. Food and a good nap will do you good until your parents arrive." With that, she gently took hold of his shoulders and led him upstairs.

* * *

Severus furrowed his brow as he watched Daisy Dodderidge lead the child up the stairs.

As soon as he caught eyes with that boy he immediately recognized him. The emerald eyes, crazy brown hair and lightning bolt scar on his forehead gave him away. How has no one else recognized him though? _Blubbering idiots._

The real question of the day though is: Why is the Potter brat here? Why isn't he with his guardians?

Taking the last gulp of his Firewhiskey, Severus placed the empty mug on the table and stood to go speak with Potter.

* * *

Harry jumped in surprise as he heard a loud knock on the door of his room. _Is the food cooked already?_ Harry nervously got off the bed and walked over to the door. He held Max tight as he cautiously opened the door and peaked out.

In the hallway stood the menacing looking man he caught eyes with earlier. _Oh No! He has come to suck my soul out!_ Harry quickly tried to shut the door but the man pushed it open with ease and entered.

Severus glared at the daring boy, "Do you have no manners, Potter?"

Harry's jaw dropped. "H-how do you know my name?"

Severus' glare deepened, "Don't play games with me, Potter! Why aren't you with your relatives? Did you run away?"

Harry took a step away from the man in black. Holding Max tight, Harry could feel himself growing afraid. "Maybe."

Severus closed the gap between him and the child. Bending down, he looked Harry in the eyes, "Answer my question! Why are you not with your relatives?"

Harry tried to step away from the man but he was stopped by his strong arms on his shoulders. "I-I don't like them and they don't like me! I am going to find a different family."

Severus glared at the boy, "You brat! You ran away! You can't run away from your problems, Potter! What did they do, take away a toy because you were being naughty?" He snarled his lip in disgust, "I am taking you home - you deserve a smarting backside!"

Harry cringed and tried to pull out of Severus' arms, "No! They don't want me! Leave me go!" Harry gave the man a swift kick in the shin and tried to run away from him.

Breathing heavy in anger, Severus went after the child and grabbed him around the waist.

Accidentally dropping Max to the floor, Harry panicked and tried to get free of the man's arms. He could feel himself being taken across the room. "Max!" Harry screamed out.

Severus ignored Harry's shout for his stuffed animal. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, Severus forced the six-year old over his lap and pulled the child's trousers and underwear down to his small ankles. What he saw made Severus immediately stop all actions. Covering the little boy's bottom and legs were welts and bruises of all shades in the healing process.

Harry kicked and wiggled, trying to get free of the man. "Leave me go! P-please! I have to find a family! D-don't make me go back there! Please!"

Gently recovering the child's bottom, Severus flicked his wand and did a quick diagnosis on the child. He frowned deeply when the results came back. "Mr. Potter, how did you get these bruises and why are you extremely malnourished?" He knew the answer but he wanted the child to tell him.

Harry whimpered and reached out in the direction of his fallen stuffed bear. "Max!"

Sighing softly, Severus flicked his wand and whispered, "Accio, Max."

Harry watched with wide, frightened eyes as his bear flew across the room toward him. As soon as Max was in reaching distance, he grabbed him and held him tight.

Now that the child has his stuffed animal, Severus tried again, "How did you get these bruises and why are you malnourished?"

Harry could feel his eyes filling with scared tears. "They don't love me."

Severus felt his heart clench. Pushing these feelings away, he asked, "Who, Potter?"

Sniffling, Harry whispered, "Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. T-they don't love me. Max loves me and my daydream family loves me. I-I need to find my daydream family. Please, sir, I need to find my daydream family. You have to let me go."

Severus frowned, "What do you mean by daydream family? You realize that daydreams are only dreams? They are not real."

Harry shook his head wildly and tried to get off the man's bony legs. "NO! They are real! If they weren't real then I wouldn't be daydreaming about them!"

Severus forced himself not to land a smack on the boy's backside for his outburst. "Calm yourself, Potter!"

Harry shook his head, "NO! Leave me go! I have to find them!"

Severus sighed. _Dad and mum would know what to do about this._ Helping the child to his feet, Severus stood and said, "Come. I am taking you home."

Nervously, Harry followed the man until he stepped inside the fireplace. Harry halted and stared at him with terror evident in his eyes.

Severus sighed, growing impatient. "Potter, come! Do not make me get you!"

"You're going to catch fire!" Harry yelled, horrified.

Severus sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Have you ever heard of magic before, Potter?"

Harry frowned but took a curious step forward. "Like pulling a rabbit out of a hat?"

Severus forced himself not to roll his eyes. "Yes, sort of. This fireplace is magical if you drop this powder." Showing the boy the powder, he continued, "This powder is called Floo Powder. This fireplace is connected to the Floo system. The Floo system will take you to another fireplace."

Harry let out a breath of excitement, "Wicked."

Severus finally rolled his eyes, "Come."

Finally, Harry came to the man's side. He felt the man take hold of his shoulders and then suddenly green flames enveloped them.

The trip was quick and soon he stumbled out of the fireplace. Just as he thought he was going to hit the ground, he felt the strong man's arms grab him and hold on to him until he was no longer spinning.

Harry looked around the living room with wide, curious eyes.

"Mum, Dad!" Severus shouted as he pointed to the couch for the boy to sit.

Harry sat down and hugged his bear against him. So many emotions bubbled inside him: fear, curiosity, nervousness and excitement.

He watched as a lady in emerald robes entered the living room and an older man with a long white beard came in right after her.

Minerva smiled at her son in welcome, "Sev! I was hoping you would come home soon!"

Albus frowned as he came closer to his adult son. He could smell the alcohol on him. "Have you been drinking again?" At Severus' eye roll, Albus lectured him, "You cannot drown your problems by drinking, Severus Tobius. How many times have we had this conversation?"

Severus glared at him, "Look. I didn't come to hear you lecture me about my drinking problem, okay?" Pointing to the boy on the couch, he snapped, "We have bigger problems."

Harry stared at the three adults with wide, scared eyes as he heard the woman gasp. _What did I do wrong?_

"Harry?" The woman asked. Her voice was quiet but full of surprise.

Albus stared at Severus with a deep frown, "Why is he not with his relatives, Severus?"

"I found him at the Leaky Cauldron. He said he ran away from home." He quickly noted the angry look that flashed through his father's blue eyes and he shook away the memory of the time he ran away as a teenager, he hadn't been able to sit for the rest of the week when he returned home! "Before you lecture the boy, father, I think it's important that you let me finish. The boy kicked me and I. . . I reacted and noticed bruises and welts on his backside. I ran a diagnosis on him and discovered that he is severely malnourished. He claims that his relatives did this to him and he is trying to find a family that he daydreams about."

Albus' heart broke. _I knew I should have checked in on him! Min was right, they weren't the right people to leave him with._ "He is looking for a family?"

Hearing the man (that Harry is positive is actually Santa Claus), Harry spoke up, "Yes, sir. I need a family. I want a family that loves me and cares for Max and I. P-please don't send me back to my aunt and uncle. . ."

Minerva frowned and shook her head, "You're not going anywhere, child." Throwing Albus a glare, she added, "You should have stayed with us in the first place."

Severus held in his groan, _Does this mean I am getting a brother? Dammit._

Albus agreed with his wife, "Indeed. I will go to the Ministry and settle all the paperwork."

Harry frowned, "What?"

Minerva smiled at him and sat down beside the boy, "My name is Minerva and he is Albus. We knew your parents when they were in school. You see, I am a professor at Hogwarts and Albus is the Headmaster at Hogwarts." Seeing the fear in the boy's eyes, she sighed softy and reassured him, "Don't worry, dear. We will not send you back to your relatives. Albus and I will take your guardianship."

Harry frowned, "I don't know you."

Albus reassured him, "We will all get to know each other."

"Will you take care of Max too?" Harry's voice was timid and he couldn't help but feel afraid - everything is twisting and turning.

Minerva nodded, "Yes, we will take care of both of you."

"You said you knew my parents, right?" At Albus' nod, Harry continued, "Would you be able to tell me about them?"

Severus interrupted before his parents could agree, "Right now I think we need to get you cleaned and fixed up. You also need food in your stomach and a nourishment potion."

Harry held Max tighter, "I'm scared."

Minerva patted Harry's knee gently, "Let's take this slow, okay, dear? I know this is a huge change. Albus will let the Ministry know that you are staying with us and we will get to know each other. After a few weeks of getting to know each other, you can decide if you want us to become your guardians. Does that sound acceptable, Harry?"

Harry nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Severus quickly got to his feet, "Good. Then let's get this over with."

Albus frowned, "Why are you in such a hurry, Severus? Do you have somewhere to be?"

Minerva's face immediately turned sad, "Can't you stay home for a while?"

Severus sighed, "I don't want to talk about this right now." Looking at the six-year old, he snapped, "Potter, come!" With that he strode from the living room and into the kitchen. He quickly gathered all the supplies he would need to fix Harry up.

Timidly, Harry followed the man named Severus into the kitchen.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and let me know if you like it!**

 **Savoren.**


	2. Learning to Share

**Chapter Two:**

 **Learning to Share**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Savoren.**

The next morning Harry awoke to the mouth-watering smell of bacon, eggs and toast. He looked around the strange, unfamiliar room and held Max tight against him. Last night's events came flooding back to him and he quietly crawled off the bed.

His eyes widened in surprise when he looked at his clothes and noticed he was wearing baby blue pajamas. Seeing his size slippers beside the bed, he slipped them on and grabbed Max. Cautiously, he went to the bedroom door and peaked out into the corridor.

Minerva noticed a small head peak around the corner into the kitchen. Smiling softly, she called to the child. "Come eat your breakfast, Harry."

Timidly, Harry entered the kitchen. He stared at the table and indicated seat with a frown. _Uncle Vernon would never let me sit at the table. Surely she is joking. . ._

Minerva pointed at the seat once again, "Come now, child."

Finally, Harry took the seat that she indicated. He looked around for the black-haired man. Not seeing Severus anywhere, he asked, "Where is Severus?"

Filling the plate full of delicious food for him, Minerva let out a small sigh. "He left when you fell asleep last night."

Sensing it was a touchy subject, Harry looked around the odd kitchen. _We don't have anything like this at Uncle Vernon's and Aunt Petunia's._

Seeing the curiosity shining in his eyes, Albus' eyes twinkled. "What do you know of magic, Harry?"

Harry frowned, "Well, you told me a little last night. That's all I know."

"It will take a little bit but in time you will get used to everything about magic," Albus explained softly. Pointed to Harry's untouched plate, he said, "Eat, Harry."

Still unsure, Harry watched the two adults with wide eyes, unsure if they would snatch out, as he slowly picked up a crispy piece of bacon. Just as slowly, he brought it to his mouth.

Minerva's heart broke as she was the fear on his face. "Go ahead and eat, Harry. Food is good for you." She hoped that maybe saying that would show him that they weren't going to take the food away or yell at him for eating the said food.

With a small nod, Harry continued his slow movements as he picked up a fork and started on the eggs. Looking at the man with the long white beard, Harry asked, "Y-you said that you can tell me about my parents."

Albus nodded, pleased that the child spoke to him without prompting. "Yes. Would you like to hear some stories?"

Harry nodded, "Yes, please." Before the man could start on the stories, he asked, "Is it true that my parents died in a car crash? I'm asking because I'm not sure what to believe anymore. My relatives told me that magic isn't real and yet it's as real as you and I. Was everything they told me a lie?"

Minerva felt her anger grow. "No, dear, your parents did not die in a car crash."

Furrowing his brow, Harry slouched a little in the seat and picked at another piece of bacon. "Then how did they die?"

Minerva exchanged looks with Albus. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she started, "When you were a year old there was a bad man named He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Harry frowned deeply at that, "That's an odd name."

Albus nodded, forcing the small smile of amusement to not appear on his face. "Yes, yes it is."

Minerva continued, "Well, He was a really, really bad man. He went around on Halloween and killed many people, your parents included. He even tried to kill you - that's why you have that scar. When the spell hit you, instead of killing you, the spell bounced off you and hit Him instead. He died that night and you survived; that is why you are called The-Boy-Who-Lived."

Biting his lip, Harry gently touched his scar. "How did I survive?"

Choosing to lighten the topic, Minerva explained. "They say that your mothers love for you was so strong that the evil man could not get to you."

Harry smiled softly, "My mum really loved me?"

Once again, Minerva felt her heart clench. "Yes, dear, she really loved you. Your father did too."

With a soft smile, Harry returned to his breakfast.

Minerva and Albus exchanged frowns - both thinking the same thing.

After breakfast, while Albus showed Harry some playful spells to entertain him, the fire in the fireplace flared a bright green and out stepped a plump, older lady in white.

"Poppy! What a surprise! What can we do for you?" Minerva asked as she hurried to her feet to greet her best friend.

Poppy barely looked at the younger child since she is in a hurry. "Severus had an accident."

Albus immediately stopped playing and came to stand by his wife. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"He must have been brewing a couple potions while intoxicated and all the potions exploded on him," Hearing Minerva's gasp, she hurried to continue. "He is stable and all of his burns are healing as we speak. However, we have yet to figure out how but the potions de-aged him to the age of six."

Minerva frowned. "Is it reversible?"

"So far we have not found a way to reverse it but I have a couple potion masters searching," Poppy explained.

"Does he remember anything?" Albus questioned as he returned to his spot beside Harry.

Poppy frowned, "That's the odd part. He does not remember anything pertaining to Hogwarts or his adulthood. He remembers his name and that the two of you are his parents - he doesn't even remember Tobius or Eileen. He also mentioned Harry's name but only in his sleep. We tested him on his knowledge and he only knows things that a normal six-year old would know."

Albus stroked his beard in thought. "That's peculiar."

"He is well enough to come home if you want him to. If not, he can stay at the Infirmary for a while longer. However, we don't know if there will be a cure - he may have to relive his life."

Minerva couldn't help but think that would be a good idea for him - since Lily's death he has been an alcoholic ticking time-bomb; a fresh start would do him well.

Albus was thinking on the same terms as Minerva. "Please bring him home once he is completely healed of all injuries. We will get the bedroom ready."

Poppy nodded and headed back toward the fireplace. Turning, she looked at Harry, "What is Mr. Potter doing here?"

Harry blushed as he realized that, once again, a stranger knows him.

"That's a long story, Poppy. To make a long story short, Albus and I are currently his guardians until further notice."

Poppy nodded in understanding. Grabbing the floo powder, she nodded to them and disappeared in the green flames.

Harry watched the green flames disappear and held Max tight. "What did she mean by de-age?"

Sighing softly, Minerva tried to push her worries aside so she could calm Harry. "Do you remember how old Severus looked last night?" At his small nod, she continued. "Well, he had a potions accident-"

Harry cut her off and asked in a quiet voice, "What's potions?"

Giving him a small smile, she tried to explain everything as easily as possible. "Potions are a magical substance that can do many things. Some potions can heal the wounded but some potions can hurt people too. Now, back to de-aging. Sev had a potions accident and the magical liquids mixed together and caused him to de-age. He is no longer as old as he was last night. Now, Severus is your age."

Harry frowned, "Potions are weird. He was old last night. . . " Harry couldn't wrap this idea around in his head.

Albus patted the boy's shoulder in comfort. "You will understand eventually."

Harry nodded, completely believing what he said - after all, these two have yet to lie to him. "Is he an old person in a six-year old body?"

Minerva smiled and waved Albus off to prepare the boys' bedroom. "In a sense, yes. However, Severus does not remember being older, he only remembers being six-years old. Therefore, I need you to not tell him. We don't want to frighten or confuse him."

Feeling proud that they would trust him with such a thing, Harry gave a fast nod. "Yes, ma'am."

"You don't need to call me that, dear. You may call me Minerva."

A small smile grew on his face at that. "Okay, Minerva."

Patting the spot beside her, she watched as Harry came over and sat down. "Now, how about those stories about your parents?" At Harry's excited look, she started.

* * *

Severus ran away from the lady in white as soon as they stepped out of the fireplace. "Don't hold my hand anymore," He muttered, feeling annoyed that the lady did not respect his age. After all, he is six not three!

Looking around the living room, he frowned when he saw someone he had never seen before. To make matters worse, this said stranger is fast asleep on his mother's lap! Narrowing his eyes, he crossed his arms. "Mum! Who is that?" _I haven't seen her all day and she's letting someone else sleep on her lap! That's MY lap!_

Hearing Severus' young voice, Minerva sat up and gently moved Harry's sleeping form to the other side of the couch. "Hello, dear. How are you feeling?"

Severus gave her a glare. "Who is that?"

Hearing his son's voice, Albus came out of the boys' bedroom and pulled his angry son into a hug. He could feel Severus trying to pull out but he held him closer. Looking to Harry, he told his son, "His name is Harry. He is your age and he will be staying with us - your mother and I have guardianship of him."

Severus' eyes went huge. "What?! Why?"

Minerva sighed softly and knelt so she was the same height as her child. "Harry's relatives weren't very nice to him-"

Severus cut her off and snapped angrily, "So he's going to take you instead?! Maybe he deserved them being mean to him!"

Immediately Albus took hold of his shoulders and turned him to the side. Landing a warning smack against the clad of his trousers, Albus turned him back around and leveled him with a firm look of disapproval. "I don't _ever_ want to hear you say that again, Severus Tobius. Am I understood?"

Frowning deeply, Severus rubbed at his bottom and lowered his eyes. "Fine."

Gently, Albus took hold of Severus' chin and forced him to look him in the eyes. "No one is taking you away from your mother and I. I understand why you are feeling that way but you need to trust us. Harry is not taking us away from you. Your mother and I have enough love for both of you."

Trying to look away, he finally gave up and slouched his shoulders in defeat. "Do you promise?"

Pulling him into a hug, Albus held him tight and whispered, "I promise."

Minerva and Poppy exchanged amused looks. They went into the kitchen to speak in private.

"How is he?" Minerva asked.

"He is a perfectly healthy, normal six-year old."

Minerva let out a sigh of relief that she hadn't realized she was holding. "That's good to hear. What memories does he have?"

Poppy sighed, "This whole event is mysterious, Min. We checked and he has no memories. We are trying to figure out how he knows Harry, Albus and you."

Minerva frowned. "Maybe it's because we were the last people he saw before he de-aged?"

"I will propose that idea to the potion masters." Giving her best friend one last hug for the night, Poppy bustled over to the fireplace and floo'd back to the Infirmary.

Entering the living room, Minerva smiled softly as she watched Albus carry Harry into the boys' bedroom. "Sev, are you tired?"

Severus crossed his arms and flopped down on the couch. "No. It's only 9, I'm not a baby."

Minerva forced the amusement to not appear on her face. "You have had quite the long day though, dear."

Shrugging, he rolled over and swung his legs off the edge of the couch. "Are you sure you have enough love for the both of us?"

Minerva smiled, "What did your father say?" Seeing that he needed further confirmation, she smiled and sat down beside him. She watched as he stifled a yawn behind his hand, "You're not tired, huh?" At his look, she laughed. Going back to the matter at hands, Minerva pulled him close to her, "I am positive that we have enough love for the both of you."

Leaving out a deep sigh, he asked, "If I don't like him can we return him?"

Minerva laughed. "There will be no returning of anyone, Sev. You cannot decide if you like him or not until you truly get to know one another. Even then there will be times that you like each other and times that you don't."

Severus stifled another yawn, "Okay, mum."

Standing, Minerva gently tugged him to his feet. "Come on, dear. I think it's time for bed."

Severus attempted to argue but his argument was cut off by another yawn. He allowed her to lead him to his room. Looking around the enlarged room, he frowned when he saw two of everything. "Why do I have to share my room?"

Helping him into bed, Minerva pulled the covers back and waited for him to lay underneath them. "Try to be friends with him, Sev. I expect you to be nice to him."

"But that doesn't mean I have to share my room," Severus whined.

Hearing his son's issue, Albus finished tucking Harry in and then went to Severus. "You have to share your bedroom because your mother and I said so. Do not argue, Severus. It will not hurt you to share."

With a deep frown, Severus curled in a ball under the blankets, "This isn't fair."

Minerva sighed. "Stop pouting, Severus. You haven't even met him yet; you may become good friends."

Severus grumbled something under his breath.

Transfiguring a blue dragon out of a sock, Albus placed it down by Severus' arms. "Do you need anything before you go to sleep?"

Taking the dragon into his arms, Severus curled into a tighter ball under the blankets.

Realizing that his son wasn't going to respond any time soon, Albus leaned down and placed a kiss where he assumed his son's forehead is underneath the blanket. "Goodnight, Sev. Have sweet dreams; we love you."

Together they walked to the door and turned the light off. Leaving the door cracked open, they returned to the living room to discuss their new situation.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Savoren.**


	3. Conversations and Hogsmeade

**Chapter Three:**

 **Conversations and Hogsmeade**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Feel free to give ideas about what you want to see happen! :)**

 **Savoren.**

With his nerves jumbling, Harry slowly entered the kitchen. He gently tugged at the shirt he found at the bottom of his bed this morning. "Where did these clothes come from?" He noticed that the rest of the family were already seated at the table, ready for breakfast.

"I transfigured them this morning," Minerva explained as she filled the boys' plates with food.

"Thank you, Minerva," Harry said softly as he looked at his new, transfigured clothes. _I've never had new clothes before._

Severus gasped, "Don't call mum by her first name, it's illegal!"

Minerva laughed softly at her son's belief. "It's quite alright, Sev." Giving Harry a loving smile, she added, "We will be going to a town called Hogsmeade today so we can get you both some new clothes. After we are done shopping and have supper we will be coming back. Tomorrow Albus and I have to return to work, the students will be returning tomorrow."

Harry blushed deeply and looked down at his cousin's hand-me-downs. Hearing the last part of her sentence though, Harry asked, "What will we do while you are working? If you leave chores I can make the house sparkle?"

Minerva glanced at Albus, both of their hearts ached at the little boy's question.

Taking over, Albus reached over and gently placed his hand over Harry's, "No, Harry. Once a week, on Mondays (which is tomorrow), there is a Pre-School that you will be attending in Hogsmeade. There you will meet many people of all ages."

"What will we learn there?" _Maybe they will want Severus to always do better than me. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon hated when I did better than Dudley. I just won't try as hard, that's all._

"They will just make sure that you know how to use a quill. They will teach you about the Houses at Hogwarts and they value equality. There will also be reading time where the Head Lady will read you wizarding stories - some will be fictional while others will be nonfiction. There will be nap time, play time and times to eat. While there, there are rules and consequences that all Pre-School students must follow: they will go over them when you first get there," Albus explained to them as he stirred his cup of tea.

Severus cringed at the idea of rules and consequences. "What kind of consequences are there? They won't smack us will they?"

Minerva smiled softly in amusement. "Will you do anything that will warrant such a punishment, Sev?" At his quick shake of the head, she chuckled and answered his question. "No, dear, they will not physically punish anyone. Time-outs and loss of privileges are their main source of punishment."

Severus let out a sigh of relief, "Thank Merlin."

Thinking about rules and consequences, Albus remembered that they had yet to tell Harry the family rules. That can wait until after lunch though.

Biting his lip, Harry wondered if he should ask his question or not. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon hated when he asked questions.

Seeing Harry's thoughtful expression, Minerva smiled at him encouragingly. "Do you have a question, Harry? You can always ask a question whenever you have one."

"What will we be doing the rest of the days when we are not at the Pre-School?" Harry's voice was timid, still unsure about asking questions.

Albus jumped in to answer, "You will be staying with me in my office. I will work on your quill skills and teach you things that wizards your age already knows about the world. We will attend all meals in the Great Hall where you will sit between Minerva and I."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Are there any other kids living here that are our age?"

Minerva shook her head, "All the other professors' children are all grown up." Seeing Harry's put-out look by that, she reassured him, "But I am sure that you and Sev will become quick friends and that you will find friends at Pre-School."

Harry played with the eggs on his plate. "I've never had a friend before. . . " Harry mumbled.

Hearing that, Severus glanced at him. For some reason he couldn't even tell his new brother if he had ever had a friend before either - he can't remember. "That's okay, Harry."

Minerva and Albus quickly exchanged smiles - this was the first nice thing Severus has said to Harry! Progress.

The rest of breakfast went by quietly with them all lost in their thoughts.

At the end of breakfast, Albus waved his wand making the table clear. He smiled as he watched Harry's eyes go wide. "Alright boys, Minerva and I need to go to the Ministry to settle the rest of Harry's guardianship papers. While we are gone you will be staying with Aunt Poppy."

Severus groaned, "Why can't we just stay here? We'll be good, I promise! I don't want to be babysat. . ."

Minerva leveled him with a firm look. "Complaining will not get you out of this it will only make you go with a sore backside."

Blushing softly, Severus slouched on the seat. "Fine!"

Harry bit his lip softly. "Aunt Poppy is the lady I saw yesterday, right?"

"Yes, Harry." Albus stirred his tea and contemplated how to start the rules and consequences conversation. By this time everyone was finished eating and so it was as good as anytime to go over this. "Sev, would you like to help us tell Harry the family rules and consequences?"

Severus quickly nodded, pleased to be able to help. "I'll tell him the rules." Looking at the overly shy boy that will apparently be his brother soon, Severus started explaining as much as he could remember. "Mind your manners, be respectful, keep the room clean, and do what you are told the first time."

Minerva smiled, proud that he remembered them. "Good job, Sev."

Albus nodded, "You did such a good job telling him about the rules do you think you can tell him the consequences?"

Severus blushed fiercely and shook his head. "You can do that one."

Albus and Minerva gave a small chuckle at that.

"Alright. The consequences for breaking a family rule can range from time-out, loss of a privilege, grounding, and a spanking," Albus explained.

Thinking of when Severus pulled him over his knee at the Leaky Cauldron, Harry cringed. He definitely did _not_ like the sound of a spanking.

Seeing his look, Albus reached over and patted his hand. "What is concerning you?"

Harry bit his lip. Keeping his eyes down, he mumbled, "Would a spanking hurt?" The only knowledge he has of anything even slightly close to being spanked is when his uncle would hit him. Sometimes those bruises lasted for weeks!

Minerva immediately caught on to his concern. "Do you know what the difference between discipline and abuse is?"

Harry frowned, "The line is blurry."

Minerva nodded in understanding. "Well, let us enlighten you on the difference. Abuse is when you are punished while the disciplinarian is angry and he or she loses control. Abuse is when marks are left on the person afterward. We promise that if, when, you ever receive a spanking we will never leave marks afterward."

Harry nodded in understanding, "But will it hurt?"

Albus gave a small nod, "It will sting but the sting will fade before you wake up the next day - if not sooner."

Severus rolled his eyes, "It's the worst thing in the world! You best be on your best behavior." _It doesn't hurt to strike a little fear into him - he's too easy to frighten._ He forced a smile to not appear on his face.

Minerva and Albus immediately leveled him with disapproving looks.

Looking at Harry, he immediately felt a twinge of guilt. He looks so frightened! _Why is he so easily frightened? He should have realized I was joking - sort of. Sure spankings stink but being grounded is worse._

Folding her napkin, Minerva stood and headed to the boys' bedroom, "Severus Tobius."

Just like that his guilt grew. He hurried to his feet, "I'm sorry, Harry. I was only kidding. . ." With that, he followed his mother.

Hearing the bedroom door close behind them, Harry sunk in the chair - wanting to disappear. "Is it really the worst thing ever?"

Albus stood and moved to sit next to the frightened boy. "No, Harry. Severus tends to joke during inappropriate times. I am sure that if you ask him he would say that groundings are worse than spankings. I know for a fact that when Sev is threatened with a grounding he tries to convince us to spank him instead. Sure, a spanking stings at first but it goes away. You will never relieve a spanking unless you seriously deserve it; you may reserve a smack or two as a warning but you won't be taken over our knee unless you seriously misbehaved. Also know though that Minerva and I will not spank you until you are comfortable with the difference between discipline and abuse."

Harry nodded, _that sounds fair._ Deciding to ask what was truly bothering him the most, "Would you ever send me back to my relatives or withhold meals?"

Instead of answering right away, Albus pulled him into a hug. Rubbing his back, Albus reassured him, "Harry, there is nothing you can ever do that would result in those consequences. What your relatives did to you was abuse and we will never send you back there. There is nothing you could ever do that would make Minerva and I regret taking you in. Do you understand?"

At first Harry had frozen when Albus hugged him but towards the middle of what he was saying, Harry felt himself melt. Hugs are great! Hugs make you feel all warm inside and loved. He couldn't help but smile and nod into Albus' shoulder, "I understand."

Leaning back, Albus smiled at him. "I'm glad. If you have any more fears do not hesitate to tell us, alright?"

Harry nodded, "I will." _Maybe this really could be my daydream family._

Severus and Minerva returned to the kitchen and took their seats.

Wiggling slightly from the three smacks his mum landed, Severus glanced at Harry. Seeing Harry's face no longer fearful, his guilt slowly started to fade away. "I am really sorry for what I said, Harry. I knew you were already nervous and I shouldn't have made it worse by being mean and lying to you. Honestly, spankings are bad at first but it goes away. Plus, mum and dad are really good at cuddling afterward."

Harry offered him a smile, "I forgive you."

Standing from the table, Albus headed for the door. "Come boys. We need to get moving."

Jumping from his seat, Harry ran to the bedroom he is staying in and grabbed Max. Holding him tight against his chest, he returned to where they were waiting for him at the door.

Severus frowned at the sight of the stuffed animal. "Why don't you leave him here? My dragon can keep him company?"

Hearing that, Harry clutched Max tighter and stayed silent.

Placing a hand on each of their shoulders, Minerva ushered them out of the door. "If Harry wants to bring Max then he may."

This is the first time Harry has been out of the house and actually walking through the castle. His eyes grew bigger with every step. _Magic is so cool!_

"Alright boys, I want you to be on your best behavior for Aunt Poppy while we are gone," Minerva explained to them as they walked down the long-corridor towards the Infirmary.

Harry twiddled his thumbs. He barely met Poppy yesterday and now she is going to watch him? What if she is mean?

Albus didn't notice Harry's worried face and gently tugged on the small hand to keep him walking down the corridor. He kept a gentle grip on the boy's hand and said, "After we return we will be heading down to Hogsmeade to shop. Does that sound good?"

Harry and Severus both nodded their heads.

Harry felt himself grow highly distracted by the moving portraits - some even spoke to him! It's a good thing Albus had a hold of his hand or else it would take hours for them to get to the Infirmary.

When they got to the Infirmary Poppy was already waiting for them. Minerva and Albus quickly said their goodbyes and then left.

Harry held Max tighter against his chest and looked around the room.

Poppy smiled encouragingly at Harry, "Would you like to play a game of Exploding Snap?"

Harry frowned, "I don't know how to play."

Poppy's smile grew and she gently led Harry over to a table she transfigured. Severus was already seated and messing with the cards. "I will teach you."

* * *

Harry had surprised himself by having a great time with Aunt Poppy and Severus. Exploding Snap had frightened him at first but he quickly learned to enjoy the game. The time with Aunt Poppy flew by and before he knew it they were in the village called Hogsmeade. Just like his first walk through the castle, Harry felt as if his eyes were never going to return to their normal size. Before shopping they decided to stop and get lunch at a place called the Three Broomsticks.

Harry stared at the food with wide, frightened eyes. One minute the table was empty and then the next minute it was full of their food!

Seeing Harry's look, Severus smirked. "It's called magic! Merlin it's like you were born with the muggles!" Severus exclaimed. _How can he not understand?_

"What's a muggle?" Harry asked in a shy, timid voice. He kept one hand on Max (who is sitting beside him on the bench) and the other on the table.

Severus rolled his eyes, "What's a muggle? Seriously?" Seeing Harry's serious face, Severus forced himself not to laugh. "A muggle is someone who isn't special - like us. Muggles can't perform magic. Sounds like your relatives, huh?"

Harry bit his lip, uncomfortable with the topic of his relatives being brought up. He pulled Max into his lap and stroked his fur.

Albus gave Severus a stern look from across the table. "Behave yourself, Severus."

Dropping his eyes, he blushed brightly and looked around the restaurant. "I'm sorry, dad."

"Don't apologize to me, Severus. Apologize to Harry. You need to start thinking about how your words affect others."

Biting his lip, Severus let out a sigh and glanced at Harry. "I'm sorry, Harry."

Giving a small nod, Harry dropped his eyes to his plate. _He's kind of a bully._

"A verbal answer, please Harry," Albus prompted. If these two are going to get along they need to learn together.

"It's okay, Severus," Harry whispered.

 _I think that's as good as that is going to get for a while._ Albus gave them both proud smiles, "Good job, boys." Pointing at their plates, he instructed, "Please begin to eat. We have quite a lot to do still."

Harry quickly discovered he loves the taste of pumpkin juice and he practically drank more than he ate!

After lunch Albus ushered them out of the Three Broomsticks and toward a shop called Gladrags Wizardwear.

Entering the shop, Harry felt his excitement grow as he noticed small golden balls with wings flying all over a red shirt. He noticed that a lot of the clothing here had moving objects on them or looked like coats for dresses!

Seeing Harry eying the shirt with snitches flying on it, Minerva grabbed it and laid it over her arm. "I want the two of you to go around and pick out shirts, socks, trousers, and underpants. Albus and I will have him measure you for dress robes and regular robes after you find what you want."

Harry frowned as he looked at a rack, "They are all the same size."

Albus moved to help Harry while Minerva went to help Sev. "It will be adjusted to fit you." Seeing a purple pair of socks with bright yellow cats on them, Albus grew very excited. "Look, Harry!"

Seeing the socks, Harry smiled. "They are bright."

Albus nodded quickly, "Do you like them?" He didn't have to wait for Harry to answer him, the look on the boy's face said it all. With a chuckle, he held on to them, "I'll get them for myself then. I do love a good pair of socks!" Looking at another pair, his eyes flashed with excitement, "Look! These ones scream when they get smelly!"

Harry laughed and went about picking out what he was told to get. Bringing the pile of clothes to the register, he watched as the man waved his wand over the pile of clothes - they shrunk to fit Harry. "You really don't have to buy these. . . " _No one has ever bought me anything before._ He held Max tight against him, feeling guilty for them spending money on him.

Minerva gave a firm shake of her head and leveled him with an even firmer look, "I don't want to hear that again, Harry. We are your guardians and it is our job to take care of you."

Harry blushed at her look, "Yes ma'am."

Reaching over, she gently rubbed his back as if to reassure him that she is not mad at him. She smiled at Mr. Maestro, "Would you be so kind as to measure them for dress and regular robes?"

The man wants money, why would he say no? He nodded and quickly set about doing the measurements.

After everything was done, Minerva and Albus shrunk the packages and they returned to Hogwarts. Minerva helped the boys put their new clothes away while Albus went to his office to get ready for tomorrow.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day - students come back and the boys go to Pre-School. Minerva just hoped everything would go smoothly; she could tell Harry seemed nervous for tomorrow and hopes that Severus will be supportive and helpful. Maybe Harry will return home with a friend or two! With that thought in mind, Minerva left their bedroom to re-read her lesson plan for tomorrow.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**

 **Savoren.**


	4. Pre-School

**Chapter Four:**

 **Pre-School**

 **A/N: Thank you for all of your support! I really appreciate it :)**

 **I hope you like this chapter,**

 **Savoren.**

"Today I will be eating with you here and dad will be eating in the Great Hall. He has a lot of announcements to make and we thought it would be best if you two weren't there. He will be back shortly though, he wants to see the two of you off." Minerva explained as she poured the boys glasses of milk.

Harry eagerly took his glass of milk and gulped it down. _Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon said milk was too expensive for Freaks to drink._

Severus calmly took a small sip of his milk and gave Harry a look of disapproval. He noticed Max on Harry's lap."Mum, tell him to not take his stuffed animal. No other kid is going to have their stuffies at Pre-School," Severus voiced his concern as he played with his porridge.

Seeing the fear evident in Harry's eyes after Sev said that, she shook her head. "Leave him go, Sev. If he wants to take Max he can."

Albus entered the kitchen just then and took his seat. He let out a deep sigh and looked at Min. "The Potion Masters aren't having luck with finding the cure."

"Cure for what?" Severus quickly asked. _Potions would be so cool! I can't wait to be old enough to play with them!_

Minerva gave him a smile, "Nothing, dear. Finish your breakfast, we need to leave soon." _I'm not sure if I want them to find the cure. Sev deserves this._

Breakfast didn't take much longer and soon Albus walked the boys to Hogsmeade while Minerva went to her first class.

* * *

Harry stayed close to Severus as they entered the room. He looked around the spacious room and saw tons of kids running around - some were reading, playing, crafting, and even napping. If he could, he would move even closer to Severus.

Severus could sense that Harry was very uneasy and so he allowed him to stay in his personal bubble. "You okay, Harry?" He whispered as he too took in his surroundings.

Harry gave a small shake of his head, "When can we leave again?" He held Max tightly in his arms. If it weren't for Max, Harry would be shaking in fear.

Sev gave Harry's hand a quick squeeze and then left it go, it wouldn't do well if another kid saw him holding his brother's hand! "Come on, let's go read a book." He didn't notice Harry's blush at hearing those words.

Harry glanced behind him and noticed the Head Ladies watching them, "They are really intimidating."

Severus nodded in agreement, "It'll be okay. Come on."

Before they could move toward the reading section, they were interrupted by a clan of red heads.

The tallest of the four boys extended his hand in greeting, "Hello, my name is Percy Weasley. I'm ten and these are my younger brothers."

Severus quickly shook his hand in return but Harry shrunk away and held tighter to Max.

"My name is Severus and this," He looked at his shy brother, "This is Harry."

Percy's eyes flashed in recognition, "Harry? As in Harry Potter?"

Harry gave a small, stiff nod of his head.

The two that look like twins pushed their elder brother out of the way before he made a fool of himself. "It's nice to meet you, Harry." They said in unison.

Fred and George exchanged smiles.

"I'm Fred."

"And I'm George. We are eight! We can't wait for the three years to fly by; Hogwarts is going to be epic!"

This put a smile on Harry's face, the twins seem amusing.

The youngest of the clan offered Harry a warm smile. "My name is Ron. I'm six, how old are you?"

"We are both six as well," Harry told the boy. _He seems nice._

Ron's face lit up in excitement, "Awesome! We are going to be the bestest of friends!"

Harry laughed softly and allowed Ron to pull him into the play area.

Severus, on the other hand, gently removed Ron's hand and stayed to speak with Percy - he seems like the less childish of the crew.

* * *

Their time at Pre-School went rather smoothly - neither boys liked the thought of nap time but they didn't put a fuss. Harry really struggled with his quill skills and even ended up throwing the quill across the classroom in frustration - Ron and Severus jumped to help him after that.

They met most of the children there, especially the ones their age. They met a boy named Neville Longbottom (Harry really enjoyed his time with him) and four other boys named Gregory, Seamus, Vincent (who seemed to be close friends with Gregory), and Dean. They also met two girls their age: Pansy and Parvati. Harry quickly learned who he liked and who he didn't - the girls seemed snotty and Gregory and Vincent reminded him of his cousin. While Harry mostly hung out with Ron and Neville (and sometimes the twins), Severus spent most of his time reading beside Percy.

After lunch the boy named Gregory came over to Severus and Harry. He grinned with amusement at seeing the stuffed animal. Pulling the bear out of the small hands, Goyle laughed and poked at the hole where Max's one eye used to be. "Why do you have a stuffed toy? Are you a baby? You look like a baby! How old are you, anyway? This Pre-School is only from ages six to 10!"

Severus stepped in front of Harry in a protective manner. "Give Max back and leave him alone! He is old enough to be here and you shouldn't be going around making fun of people's sizes - not everyone looks like an eight-year old!"

Gregory gave him a glare and held Max high in the air. "I'm just tall for my age! I have a best friend named Draco, he is home-schooled but he will come beat you up if you make fun of my height again!" In a daring tone, he added, "If you want the stupid bear you're going to have to get it from me!"

Challenge accepted.

Stepping forward, Severus used both of his hands to push the boy backwards. He watched with satisfaction as Gregory stumbled backwards into a table.

Stubbing his toe, Gregory let out a howl and fell to his knees. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

Severus smirked at the sight. "Now who is being the baby?"

Jumping to his feet, Gregory ran to find the Head Lady.

Severus frowned deeply as he watched Gregory tell on him. "What a tattle tale. . ." Reaching down, he picked the fallen Max up from the floor and handed him to Harry.

Holding Max tight against him, Harry hid his face in Max's fur. "Thanks, Sev."

"Come on! Fred and George are gonna put a firecracker in the loo!" Ron exclaimed as he ran over to them. Taking hold of Harry's arm, he dragged him toward the loo.

Harry laughed and allowed himself to be pulled into the loo. _These Weasleys are hilarious._

Severus sighed softly and stayed where he was. He watched as the Head Lady made her way over to him.

"Why did you push Gregory?" The Head Lady questioned and leveled him with a disappointed frown. _First day he is here and already causing problems._

"The real question here, madam, is why _wouldn't_ I push that prat?" Severus snapped back, words dripping with vicious attitude.

Taken back by the six-year old's ability to make her feel uneasy, the Head Lady crossed her arms and tried to remind herself that she is the adult, not Severus. "Your attitude is unacceptable, young man. I expect you to drop it or else you will find yourself standing in timeout. Am I understood?"

Severus forced himself not to roll his eyes. _Oh no, timeout!_ He forced himself not to smile. "Crystal clear, " The sarcasm was obvious in his tone.

Sighing, she knelt down to stare Severus in the eyes. She mentally reminded herself that this is the six-year old version of the bat-of-the-dungeons. _This is Snape, obviously he is going to have an attitude and perfected sarcasm by the age six._ "I do not appreciate your sarcasm, Severus Snape."

Severus crossed his arms and leveled her with a dangerous look. "Well I don't appreciate your threats."

Once again, the Head Lady had to remind herself that Severus is no longer the menacing Potions Master. Taking hold of his shoulders she gently lead him to the closest corner, "It was a promise, young man. Now, I want you to stand there for six minutes." She forced a smile to not appear on her face as she thought about putting the adult version of Snape in the corner for timeout.

Severus forced himself not to kick the wall. _This place is stupid._

Walking away, the Head Lady called for Gregory, "You need to go apologize to Harry, young man." She watched him leave to find Harry. Hearing an explosion coming from the loo, she forced herself not to groan, "Not again!"

Harry's eyes grew huge at the sight of the Head Lady entering the loo. _She is going to kill us._

"Fred and George Weasley! What have I told you about firecrackers?" She didn't wait for a response and snatched out to capture their ears. "Your mother will be hearing about this when she comes to pick you up!" Looking over her shoulder at Harry and Ron, she said, "If you are not going to use the loo then there is no reason to be in here." Leaving go of one of their ears, she flicked her wand at the exploded toilet, fixing it.

Harry and Ron quickly followed her out of the loo.

"Want to play a game a Junior Wizarding Chess?" Ron asked. He didn't even wait for Harry's response and began pulling him toward the play area.

"I don't know how to play," Harry mumbled as he felt himself being pushed into a chair.

"I can teach you!" Ron exclaimed in excitement.

In the middle of their game Gregory came over to apologize.

Ron leveled him with a glare, "You make fun of my friend again, Goyle, and I'll shove your head in the toilet where it belongs! Got it?!"

Goyle quickly nodded his head and ran out of the play area to Vincent.

Harry smiled, _It's nice to have friends._

* * *

Minerva entered the pick-up room and took a seat, patiently waiting for the boys.

Seeing Minerva, Molly hurried over to her and gave her a welcoming smile. She tugged Ginny on to her lap. "I heard the great news, Minerva! I am so glad that the two of you got Harry's guardianship."

Smiling, Minerva gave a small nod of her head. "Thank you." She offered Ginny an even bigger smile, "I haven't seen you since you were really small! How old are you now?"

Ginny blushed and hid her face in Molly's chest. "Five," she mumbled.

Molly laughed softly and rubbed Ginny's back. "She's shy." She decided to change the subject so Ginny didn't feel as shy. "Is it true that Severus had a potions accident and was de-aged to Harry and Ron's age?" Molly questioned as she sat down and got comfortable. Sometimes waiting for the kids to have everything cleaned up can take a while.

"Yes, that's true. He and Harry are sharing a bedroom and are starting to get along." Before she could continue, she noticed the Head Lady enter the room and come over to them.

"I need to have a word with the two of you in the office." She didn't even wait for them to respond before turning and walking into her office.

Minerva and Molly exchanged nervous glances before standing and hurrying into the office.

"Is everything alright?" Minerva questioned as she took one of the seats in front of the desk.

The Head Lady shook her head and leveled the mothers with disappointed frowns. "We had two incidents here today." Giving Molly an annoyed look, she started with her. "The twins blew up another toilet today with firecrackers. You need to check their pockets before bringing them or else we are going to have to be forced to do so when they arrive. As you know firecrackers are highly dangerous and should not be played with."

Molly let out a deep sigh. "I am so sorry they did that again! They will be finding themselves in quite the heap of trouble when we get home, I assure you." Changing the subject, she asked, "What about Ron? How did he behave today?"

"Ron behaved well - he helped Severus and Harry adjust to the system. His reading levels went up a score today but he is still behind for his age."

 _Reading levels? I didn't realize they taught reading at age six here! I'm pretty sure Sev knows how to read but I definitely don't think Harry knows. . . Maybe he does, I will have to look in to that._

Molly smiled, proud of her son. "That is wonderful! We will keep practicing with him at home."

Ginny wiggled on her mother's lap and stared at the stern looking Head Lady. She definitely was not looking forward to coming here next year!

The Head Lady turned her attention to Minerva. "Harry was well behaved; however, Harry has severe social anxiety. With time, being here will help with that. He is also below average on his schooling."

Minerva already knew that. "And Severus?"

"Severus is a highly intelligent young man. However, I am concerned with his problem solving skills. Today he pushed a boy named Gregory Goyle."

Minerva frowned, _that doesn't sound like Severus._ "Why did he push him?"

"Gregory took Harry's stuffed animal. We dealt with Gregory's misbehavior and we spoke with Severus about pushing others but he gave me a sarcastic response and then glared at me when I called him out on it."

Minerva forced herself not to smile - it wouldn't do well to smile after the Head Lady said that, she would probably think she's a horrible mother. "We will deal with it at home."

Nodding firmly, the Head Lady readjusted her quills on her desk. "See to it that you do." Looking up at Minerva, she added, "I also wanted to speak to you about Harry's stuffed animal."

Minerva frowned, "What's wrong with Max?"

"Don't you feel as if Harry may be getting a little too old to carry it around outside of the house?" The Head Lady questioned.

Minerva's frown deepened and she leveled the Head Lady with a daring look. "Max is like Harry's safety blanket. Do you have any idea what that little boy has been through?" She ignored Molly's curious look.

"Yes, it is all in the paperwork-" Minerva cut her off, "Then there should be no more questions about Max."

The Head Lady sensed that her concerns weren't getting crossed, "I am just concerned that the other children will give him a hard time."

Molly jumped in, "I am sure that if that happens then you will be able to handle the situation. If I am hearing correctly, Harry needs his stuffed animal."

Leaving out a soft sigh, the Head Lady stood. "Alright. Then I feel we are all done here. Have a good day."

Molly and Minerva exited the office. They watched as Ginny ran off to attack her big brother, Ron, in a hug.

Ron blushed and tried to push her away, "Stop, Ginny. I'm at Pre-School, you're embarrassing me!"

"Thank you for helping me in there. I don't know what their problems are with safety blankets," Minerva said to Molly as they made their way over to their children. Minerva smiled at the red heads. It made her extremely happy to see Harry and Severus enjoying time with other children their age.

Molly patted Minerva on the shoulder, "I had the same problem with Fred and George when they first started coming here." She too watched as the children said their goodbyes. "We should get together and let the kids have a play date."

Minerva smiled, "That's a good idea."

Harry walked over to his guardian, holding Max tight against him. "Hi, Minerva."

Smiling, Minerva knelt down and pulled him into a hug. "How was your first day?"

Harry let out a small sigh. "The Weasleys are nice but do I have to come back? People don't like Max and Max hates it here."

Severus came over and nodded his head in agreement, "I hate it here too. I already have to listen to you and dad, why should I have to listen to the Head Ladies too?"

Minerva pulled Severus into a hug as well. "Yes, you need to come back. I take it your first day wasn't good?"

Severus shook his head, "Why can't we just get home-schooled? Other kids get home-schooled before Hogwarts!" He ignored her question, not willing to admit to getting into trouble yet.

She sighed softly and rubbed his back. "You know that home-schooling is not an option, Sev. With your father's and my schedule there is no time. Now, do you want to tell me what happened today?" She leveled him with a knowing look so he wouldn't try to lie.

"I got in trouble," he mumbled and stared down at his trainers.

"I know, Sev. We will discuss it with your father at home." Standing, she held on to their shoulders. "Say goodbye to your friends."

Harry and Severus quickly followed her instructions and then together they returned to Hogwarts.

They met Albus in the living room. He quickly pulled them into a huge hug and kissed the tops of their heads. "Did you have a good day at Pre-School? Did you like it? Did you make any friends?" Albus seemed as if he were more excited about this situation than the boys were.

Both boys quickly answered all of his questions.

Minerva leveled Severus with a frown, "I believe you left something out, little boy."

Severus sighed and sat down on the couch. "I pushed Gregory Goyle today because he took Max from Harry."

Albus frowned, "Though I am proud of you for sticking up for your brother," he ignored Severus' sharp look at the title brother, "I fully believe that you could have handled that situation differently. Is violence _ever_ the answer to a problem, Sev?"

Severus smirked softly, "When someone is in danger it is. Max was in danger, dad."

Harry nodded in agreement, "People don't like Max."

Albus sighed, "You know that is not the correct answer, Severus Tobius."

Dropping his eyes, he let out a huff, "Fine. No, violence is never the answer. . ."

Tapping his chin, Albus waited until he was, once again, staring into Severus' onyx eyes. "What could you have done differently, Sev?"

Severus tried to look away. He hates when his father's eyes aren't twinkling! "Gotten a Head Lady," he mumbled under his breath.

Leaving go of his chin, Albus straightened and nodded his head. "Correct. Now, before supper (which is in an hour) I want you to write an apology letter to young Mr. Goyle."

Severus' eyes went huge, "What?! Why? He deserved it!"

Minerva sensed Harry was becoming uneasy with the situation and led him into the kitchen.

Giving him a firm look of disapproval, Albus gently took hold of his hand and led him to the desk by the bookshelves. "He did not deserve being pushed, Severus Tobius. Now, I want you to sit here and do what I told you."

Severus slouched in the seat and crossed his arms over his chest. "This is stupid," he muttered under his breath.

Albus frowned. "Excuse me, young man? Would you like to repeat that?"

Immediately, Severus sat up straighter and grabbed the piece of parchment from his father. _I'll write the stupid letter but it's going to be full of lies!_

Satisfied, Albus left the living room and entered the kitchen. He took his seat and let out a tired sigh. Being a full-time father of two young children and the Headmaster of a castle is proving to be a lot more tiring than he anticipated.

"Do you know how to read, Harry?" Minerva asked, pulling the boy's attention away from his tired guardian.

Harry shrugged his small shoulders. "A little. I can write my name and can read a couple words. My aunt and uncle didn't teach me. Mrs. White, my first grade teacher, was giving me extra lessons and I met with a reading specialist during recess." _They probably think I'm stupid!_

Minerva gave him a reassuring smile. "I bet the Weasley children's' mother, Molly, would love to help you."

Harry blushed, "I don't want Ron to think I'm dumb." He held Max tight in his arms. His heart hammered away anxiously.

"Ron would not think you are dumb, Harry. Ron, too, is having problems with reading. His mother gives him lessons throughout the week. If you are comfortable with this plan, I will write Molly Weasley after supper."

Harry gave a small nod, "If you are sure they won't think Max and I are dumb. . . "

Minerva smiled, she loves how he blames all of his feelings and actions on Max. "I am positive that no one thinks you are dumb."

Pulling Max up to his face, Harry smiled into his fur. _It's so nice to have guardians!_

"Why don't you go change into clean clothes, dear? We will be leaving shortly for supper," Minerva instructed him.

Once Harry had left the room, Minerva reached over and took hold of Albus' hand, "Are you okay, dear?"

Albus squeezed her hand lovingly. "I should have expected Sev to still be sarcastic and have an attitude. After all, he was like this as soon as he started Hogwarts."

Minerva smiled, "This is a big adjustment for him, Albus. He has no memories except knowing that we are his parents _and_ he was randomly given a brother. He is not used to sharing the attention."

Albus nodded in understanding, "I am glad that Sev stood up for Harry today. It proves that he is giving him a chance. I just wish he would have stood up for him in a different way. I don't want to have to deal with an irate Goyle Sr. because Severus couldn't keep his hands to himself."

Understanding, Minerva squeezed his hand. "It is all going to smooth out soon. They will adjust to the schedule and will keep making friends and growing closer together. And we will get used to parenting two six-year olds and running the castle. Of course it is shaky right now, we aren't used to this but it will even out. Today was the first day, tomorrow will be easier."

Albus ran his hand over his tired face. "I could barely concentrate all day. I was worried about them. I was worried that they wouldn't make friends or that someone would be mean to them. The Head Ladies are already scary enough, Min!"

Minerva smiled, "I know, Albus. It will all work out though." She stopped talking once she saw Severus enter the kitchen and thrust the apology letter on the table. She smiled at him and scanned the letter. Even in the letter she felt as if she could hear his sarcasm and lies. She forced herself not to laugh at his last line: I won't push you again but if you verbally attack my little brother again, you will regret it. Have a nice day.

Looking up from the letter, she handed it to Albus. "Please go get changed, we need to leave for supper as soon as you are changed."

Severus quickly did as he was instructed.

Albus chuckled as he read the last line, "I think that is as good as it is going to get."

Minerva smiled in amusement, "You told him to write an apology letter; you did not specify what should be in that letter."

Albus nodded, an amused smile still on his face. "I need to be more specific next time."

After a few minutes, the small family made their way to the Great Hall. When they entered, the Hall filled with awes over the two, cute little boys. This is the first time the student body has seen the children - that morning they had all be informed of the new change and been told about Severus. That morning Albus also introduced the new Potion Professor/Head of Slytherin, Professor Reyn. Zacharia Reyn is also one of the Potion Masters that is looking for Severus' cure.

They quickly made their way to the Head Table and took their seats.

Harry felt as if the whole student body has their eyes glued to him. He slouched in the seat between Severus and Minerva.

Minerva tapped her fingers on the table in front of him. "Please sit up, Harry. We do not slouch at the table."

Severus barely noticed the stares as he dug in to his plate of food, starting with the wonderful looking potatoes.

Slowly, Harry sat up and started picking at his plate. He could feel his cheeks warm with embarrassment, _I hate when people stare._

Seeing that Severus was eating everything on his plate except the broccoli, Albus glanced at Minerva and noticed her give him a nod. He forced himself not to sigh. "Severus please eat your broccoli."

Severus grimaced and shook his head. "No thank you, dad."

Albus frowned, "It was not an option, young man. Eat your broccoli."

Severus gave him a glare. "I _hate_ broccoli!"

Albus tried to keep his voice even, "Broccoli is healthy for you, Severus. Look, Harry is eating his."

Severus rolled his eyes, "Well isn't he just perfect." The look his father gave him only made him frown harder and cross his arms over his chest. "I don't want to."

"I don't particularly care, Severus Tobius. Now, you are making a scene. Just eat your broccoli, it's not going to hurt you."

Instead of doing what he instructed to do, Severus picked up his plate and threw it off the table.

Immediately, Albus stood and hoisted Severus up off his seat. Flicking his wand at the mess, it disappeared. He mentally noted that the Great Hall had grown deathly silent.

Grabbing Severus' hand, he started for the Great Hall doors. No need to make an even bigger scene in the Great Hall than Severus already caused.

Tugging at his captured hand, Severus tried to stop moving and when this failed he stomped his feet in outrage. "Broccoli is stupid! I shouldn't have to eat it!"

Albus ignored this and exited the Great Hall. As soon as the doors shut behind them, Albus turned him to the side and landed three sharp smacks on his backside.

Severus immediately reached back to cover his bottom, "Ow! You're being mean! I hate broccoli, dad!" Tears filled his onyx eyes from the small sting in his bottom.

Albus knelt down and took hold of his small chin. "You just made a huge scene in there, Severus Tobius. You are six-years old and you acted like a toddler - even toddlers eat their broccoli without throwing such a fuss." He leveled him with a disappointed look, "Why did you get your bottom smacked, Severus?"

Severus crossed his arms, "Because broccoli is stupid."

Albus forced his sigh to not escape. "Young man my patience is wearing thin. If you do not drop your attitude this instant I am taking you home where you can put your nose in the corner!"

Severus made an angry face and scrunched his nose. "I hate you. You're a bully!"

Albus ignored the feeling in his heart at hearing those words. "Fine. You can think about this further with your nose touching the wall."

Severus let out an angry scream and tried to free his hand from his father's grip. "No! Why don't you love me anymore? You love Harry more; he never gets in trouble!"

Albus felt his heart clench and he immediately stopped trying to pull his son down the corridor. He knelt in front of Severus and put both of his hands on his shoulders, "Sev, that is _not_ true. We love you both equally."

Tears sparkled in his eyes and he gave a small nod of his head. "Yes it is, dad! Ever since Harry got here I have to get in trouble to get one-on-one attention with you!"

Hearing that, Albus pulled his distraught son into his arms. "Oh, Sev. I am sorry that you feel that way."

Sniffling, Severus hid his face in his father's shoulder. "Can we return him now?"

Albus smiled softly and rubbed Sev's back. "No, son, we cannot return him. I can promise you something though?"

Intrigued, Sev pulled back to look in his father's eyes. "What's that?"

"How about every night before bed we play a game of wizarding chess?"

Severus smiled brightly at the idea. "Truly?"

Albus nodded and pulled him into another hug, "I promise."

"Am I still in trouble?" Severus whispered as he stared at his trainers.

Albus sighed softly and eyed his son. "Can you tell me what you did wrong?"

Severus bit his lip and gave a small nod of his head. "I threw a temper tantrum and made a scene over broccoli."

Albus nodded and rubbed Sev's back. "What could you have done differently?"

Severus, once again, bit his lip. "Eaten it?"

Albus smiled. "You could have calmly told me what was wrong. I have a feeling that the broccoli incident wasn't because you don't like broccoli, Sev. I have seen you eat broccoli before."

Sev dropped his eyes.

Tapping his chin, Albus gave him an encouraging look. "Am I right?" At Sev's nod, he continued. "Instead of causing problems just come and talk to your mother and I about how you are feeling, alright?"

Severus nodded. "Okay, dad. I'm sorry."

Albus smiled and pulled him into another hug, "I forgive you. Come, we can go finish supper at home and play a quick game of Wizarding Chess before your mother and Harry get home."

* * *

Minerva could feel the awkward tension in the Hall after the broccoli incident. The students and professors weren't used to seeing their bat as a naughty six-year-old.

She let out a small sigh as she noticed Harry slouched so far he could almost go under the table. In his arms Max was being held in a death grip. Harry's plate was obviously forgotten about.

She gently tapped the table in front of him again and said, "Harry, what did I say about slouching at the table?"

Harry slowly peaked up at her. "Can we leave? Max doesn't like their stares."

Since the Headmaster is gone the Headmistress must stay. She gave a small shake of her head and reached down to gently lift him back into a sitting position. "Please finish your supper."

Very slowly, Harry followed her instructions. He could still feel everyone's attention on him and it made his anxiety rise.

Seeing the issue, Poppy moved her plate and drink down beside Harry. "Hello, dearie. How was your first day at Pre-School?"

Harry smiled at her in welcome before explaining his day. "A kid named Gregory made fun of Max. That upset Max!"

Poppy frowned deeply. She looked at Min, "I hope that boy was spoken to."

Hearing that, Harry smiled. "Even better! Sev pushed him down and yelled at him!"

Minerva sighed tiredly. Working full-time and raising two six-year olds is hard work. "Now Harry, what did we say about that?"

Harry dropped his eyes, ashamed. "That it was naughty. It was good that Sev stood up for me but that he could have gotten his point across verbally and not physically."

Poppy nodded in agreement. "Violence is never the answer, dear."

Harry let out a deep sigh. _Someone should have told Dudley that!_

Noticing that the boy was not going to reply, she reached in her pocket and pulled out a shrunken vial. Enlarging it, she handed it to Harry. "This is a nutrient potion. I will be giving you one every day at supper."

Harry eyed the oddly colored liquid with suspicion. "Why does it look like that?" He took a whiff of the liquid and immediately made a disgusted face. "Ew! Do I have to drink it?"

Poppy and Minerva exchanged amused smiles.

Poppy nodded, "Yes, you have to drink it. You are under weight and your nutrient levels are very low."

Knowing he didn't have a choice, he closed his eyes and quickly drank the vile potion. Sticking his tongue out, he gagged and clenched his eyes shut. "That's horrendous!"

Poppy chuckled and handed him a brownie, "Here, this will make the taste go away."

Harry eagerly ate the brownie and let out a sigh of relief when the taste disappeared.

The rest of supper went by quickly and Harry met the rest of the staff - they all seemed very nice except the one professor named Professor Trewlany (she gave him the creeps).

* * *

"Mum, can we get a dog?" Severus asked as he allowed her to tuck him into his bed.

Minerva shook her head. "No, Sev. We don't have time to take care of a dog."

"I'll take care of it!" Severus pushed.

"I can help!" Harry exclaimed. It would be cool to have a pet dog.

Albus finished tucking Harry in and leveled them both with firm looks. "Your mother said no. If you want to play with a dog then you may go play with the ground keeper's dog, Fang. I am sure Hagrid would love to spend time with the two of you."

Severus sighed sadly, "But I want my own dog."

"Maybe when you are older, Sev." Changing the subject before Severus started throwing a tantrum, Albus sat down in the chair between the two beds and accio'd a children's book, "Are you ready for your bedtime story?"

Both boys wiggled to get comfortable and eagerly waited for their nightly story.

Minerva smiled and left the room to grade the students' summer homework. "Goodnight boys, I love you both."

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! The next chapter will contain Fang, Peeves, accidental magic, and talk of Harry's relatives.**

 **Savoren.**


	5. Peeves

**Chapter Five:**

 **Peeves**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! I am so glad you are enjoying this story :)**

 **Warning: This chapter contains a lot of fluff :)**

 **Savoren.**

Waking, Severus glanced over at his sleeping brother. What he saw made his eyes grow big with fear: Harry is thrashing around on his bed, tears and sweat rolling down his face. What scared Severus the most though was Harry's open, screaming mouth but no sound was coming out.

Confused, he crawled out of his bed and went over to Harry. His confusion grew when he got to the edge of Harry's bed and felt an invisible barrier. He tried to reach for Harry but found he couldn't.

Noticing that Harry's thrashing got rougher, Severus panicked and hurried out of their bedroom to wake his parents.

Albus and Minerva awoke to Severus shaking them and then they rushed over to help Harry.

Albus frowned deeply as he touched the invisible barrier. "This has to be accidental magic. It was probably brought on by his relatives' treatment of him." _I am going to destroy those muggles for what they did to him._ Even saying this though he couldn't help but feel in awe over how powerful the little boy is: it takes an enormous amount of magic to create this sort of protection - let alone do it accidentally!

Severus felt his panic grow in his stomach, "Stop playing around and help him!" He kept his eyes locked on his thrashing brother, _Why are they just staring at him?!_

Taking Severus, Minerva held him tight against her and tried to reassure him. "Sh, calm down, Sev. Daddy is going to make Harry feel better. Be patient, son." She allowed Severus to hide his face against her. She could only imagine how terrifying of a sight that was for Severus to wake up to.

Albus succeeded in tearing the barrier down. No sooner did he finish waving his wand, the bedroom filled with heart-wrenching screams. Severus immediately put his hands over his ears and closed his eyes, afraid of what is happening to Harry.

Knowing the screams would wake all the professors living near them, Albus quickly put up a silencing spell around the room and tried to gently wake Harry. As soon as Harry opened his eyes, pure panic crossed his face and he jumped off the bed and scurried underneath it, far from Albus' helping hands.

Minerva knelt next to Severus, not noticing the scene behind her, "Do you remember what the potion called Dreamless Sleep looks like, Sev?" At his nod, she smiled, "That's my boy. Remind me to buy you another Junior Potions book for your helpfulness. Please go get the potion out of the potions cabinet."

Severus smiled proudly and ran from the room to get what his mum needs. It feels good to be needed - especially by his parents! On top of that though, he would do anything to get Harry to stop screaming.

While Severus was getting the potion, Albus and Minerva tried to convince Harry out from under the bed where he had hidden in fear.

"It's okay, dearie. We are not going to hurt you," Minerva told him softly.

Harry stayed put and kept his mouth clenched shut. _I woke everyone up! They are gonna beat me as soon as I come out!_ Harry could feel his heart beat start to race at a thousand miles for second. _I messed up. They aren't going to want me anymore! They are going to send me back to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia!_

Entering the bedroom, Severus bit his lip at the sight of his elderly parents being on their hands and knees, begging Harry to come out from under the bed.

Putting the Dreamless Sleep potion on Harry's nightstand, Severus got on his hands and knees then crawled under the bed. Placing himself beside Harry, he tried to calm his new brother down. "What's wrong, Harry? Why are you under here?"

Harry glanced at him and moved further back until he was up against the wall under the bed. "I woke everyone up. . ."

Severus tried to give him a comforting smile. "So what? I wake them up _all_ the time!" Suddenly understanding dawned on him, "They are not mad, Harry. They are worried about you; you were having a horrible nightmare."

Harry shook his head, fear still clutching at his heart. He hid his face against Max and whispered, "I don't want to get beat."

Severus slowly moved closer to him and just as slowly reached out and grabbed Harry's hand. With wisdom and understanding much too mature for his age, Severus tried to make his brother's fear go away. "Mum and dad would never beat you." He closed his eyes as he put more of the puzzle together, "Would your relatives beat you if you woke them?"

Fear-filled, emerald eyes locked on Severus' onyx ones. Harry gave a silent nod of his head and dropped his eyes in shame. He held Max tighter and let his fur catch his falling tears.

Inching closer, Severus tried to make himself not look frightening. "Mum and dad _love_ you. I know you don't completely believe it yet but mum and dad would never treat you like your last family treated you. You didn't deserve that." Pointing to where his parents are peeking under the bed, Severus continued, "They are worried about you and only want to comfort you. Will you let them?"

Harry stared at Severus for a few minutes before he asked in a whisper, hope radiating off of him, "They love me?"

Severus smiled and forced himself not to respond sarcastically. "Why wouldn't they? They are your mum and dad now. . . Parents love their children."

Harry frowned deeply and dropped his eyes, "Because I'm a Freak. That's why they wouldn't love me!"

Severus couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Well, welcome to the Freak family, Harry."

Harry smiled at that. He looked out at the concerned faces of his guardians. _They only want to help - that's a characteristic of my Daydream family._

Severus gave Harry's hand a comforting squeeze, "Are you ready to get out from under here? It needs vacuumed." He looked at the floor with disgust.

At Harry's nod, Severus kept hold of his hand and slowly led the way out from under the bed.

As soon as they crawled out from under the bed they were both enveloped in their mother and father's arms.

Harry closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax. _Severus was right - they aren't mad at me! On top of that, hugs are great!_

Minerva quickly wiped away Harry's fallen tears. "Do not _ever_ be afraid to wake us up if you are having a bad dream or just need to talk to us, alright dear?" As Harry nodded in her arms, Minerva gave Severus a proud smile and ran a free hand through his long, black hair.

Once Harry let go of Minerva, Albus led him to the bed and sat next to him. "Do you want to talk about your nightmare?"

Harry dropped his eyes in shame and his cheeks pinked with embarrassment.

As Albus waited for Harry to say yes or no, he put a spell on Harry's bed to prevent any more silencing spells or barriers (accidental or not) from being placed.

Finally, Harry broke the silence by whispering, "You took me back to my relatives' and when you left Uncle Vernon beat me with his new belt until it snapped in half. Then, he used both pieces and kept g-going."

Minerva forced the horror to not appear on her face. "Oh, Harry! I am so sorry you had dreamed that!" _Those muggles will pay for the damage they have done!_

Severus felt disgusted. "Mum and dad would never let anyone hurt us, Harry."

Seeing Severus' serious face, Harry gave a tiny nod of his head and whispered, "I believe you."

Rubbing his back, Albus reached over and unstopped the potion bottle. "This will help you sleep."

Eagerly, Harry took it and downed the potion as fast as possible.

Leading Harry to get under the covers, Minerva placed a small kiss to his forehead. "If you need us do not hesitate to come and wake us up."

Harry nodded slowly, "Promise you won't get mad if I do?"

Minerva smiled and tucked him in, "I pinky promise." She offered him her pinky and waited for him to accept her promise.

Harry smiled and stared at the pinky, "Okay." And with that, he wrapped his small pinky around her's and accepted her promise.

Minerva and Albus finished tucking the boys in and then returned to their bed.

Leaning against Albus, Minerva laid her head on his shoulder and let out a sad sigh, "We need to find out all that happened in that house."

Albus nodded in agreement and rubbed her back with his one hand. "We will need his memories for the trial anyway. We can take him to the Ministry and have his memories copied then stored away."

With her eyes closed, she snuggled in closer to him and asked, "How deep do you think his mental scars are?"

Albus let out a small sigh and held her tight, knowing that she needed his comfort right now. "Deep. However, I fully believe that we can help him and soon enough he will be able to move on from his dark past." He felt her physically relax at those words. Leaning down he placed a small kiss to her forehead, "Goodnight, beautiful. I love you to the moon and back."

With a smile on her face, she whispered, "I love you to the end of the universe and back."

Albus chuckled softly and ran a hand through her hair, "You win tonight my love."

And with that, they both closed their eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

* * *

The morning came quickly and, unfortunately, everyone in the house was still quite tired from last nights events.

As Albus wrote to the Ministry of Magic about copying and storing Harry's memories, Minerva tried to get the boys to wake up.

"Come on, boys. I know you're both still tired but you can take a nap later in dad's office." She gently shook Severus' shoulder. Usually Sev was easy to wake up but last night must have taken a lot out of him.

Severus sighed softly and opened his tired eyes to stare at her, "Can't we stay here today?"

Harry groaned in agreement.

Minerva smiled softly and helped him sit up. "You already know that answer, Sev. Now, come on, we need to get to breakfast."

Harry sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. "What are the plans for the day, Minerva?"

Minerva moved to the wardrobe and pulled out their outfits for the day. "We are going to breakfast and then I am going to teach Transfiguration. Both of you will be going with dad to his office where he will work on your quill skills." She placed the outfits on their beds and then left the room.

* * *

Harry looked out at the crowd of students sitting in their assigned tables. It seemed color coded to him - they only sat with others wearing their same colors. There's only four colors though, what if someone likes teal or pink?

His eyes grew wide in fear as he saw a ghost floating between the tables. _Why doesn't anyone else find that scary?!_ He held Max tighter and leaned toward Minerva.

Minerva smiled at him and said, "His name is Nearly Headless Nick. He's really nice and won't hurt you."

As if he heard them speaking about him, he floated up to the Head Table and smiled at the two boys. "Hello boys. Are you having a pleasant day so far?"

Harry shrunk away from him and held Max up to his face.

Severus nodded but yawned. "It just started, sir."

Nearly Headless Nick smiled and nodded his head in agreement, "Yes but how your day goes is determined right away in the morning. Attitude is everything, boys."

Severus frowned and played with his eggs, "Mum and dad get mad if I have an attitude."

Laughing, Nearly Headless Nick explained, "There are many different kinds of attitudes. I should have been specific and said that positive attitudes will start your day off well." Noticing that Harry was practically hidden behind the stuffed bear, he offered him a gentle smile. "How are you liking Hogwarts so far, Harry?"

Harry peeked out from behind Max. _He doesn't look too bad. . ._ "It's fascinating, sir."

He nodded, "That it is, Harry. Now, just be warned and keep an eye out for Peeves. Peeves is a poltergeist."

Harry frowned softly, "What's a poltergeist?"

Severus rolled his eyes, "You're really not the brightest," he dropped his eyes in shame by the look he was given from his mother. "Sorry. . ." He took a deep breath to shake off his shame and explained to Harry what a poltergeist is.

Harry bit his lip and looked around the Great Hall with wide eyes. "Is he scary?"

Minerva gave Nearly Headless Nick a glare. "He is not scary, Harry. He is just annoying. Besides, he knows better than to try anything with you or Sev."

Nick nodded in agreement. "All the ghosts in this castle will watch over and take care of the two of you."

Harry smiled and lowered Max. "Thanks."

Minerva smiled at Nearly Headless Nick and then tapped her fingers beside Harry's full plate of food, "Eat your breakfast, Harry."

Harry sighed and picked his fork up, "Why does everyone stare at me?"

Severus smirked, "They're staring at me, not you. Want to know why?" He didn't wait for Harry to answer before puffing out his chest and smoothly saying, "Because I'm a heart-breaker."

Minerva struggled with keeping herself from laughing.

Harry gave him a disgusted look. "Heart-breaker for whom? Gummy bears?"

Severus gave him a glare and returned to his food.

After breakfast the boys followed Albus to his office and Minerva went to her first class of the day. In Albus' office he transfigured two child-size desks and some puzzles to entertain them.

Pulling out parchment from his mahogany desk, Albus wrote out the alphabet across the top and then handed the boys each a copy. "Please take a seat at your desk and work on writing the alphabet with a quill."

Harry groaned softly but did as he was told.

Albus watched Harry closely and immediately caught on to what the child was doing wrong. "You are holding the quill wrong." Moving to kneel beside him, Albus held his own quill to show him. "See how I am holding mine?"

Harry nodded and tried to mimic his guardian's quill hand. When he succeeded, a huge smile grew on his face.

Albus patted him on the back and gave him a smile. Looking over to Severus, he noticed that he was almost done writing out the alphabet. "When you are done, Sev, I want you to go to the bookshelf and pull out the book titled Hogwarts, A History _._ "

Severus sighed, "Can't I just go watch Professor Reyn teach Potions?"

Shaking his head, Albus went to the bookshelf and pulled out the said book. "No. Professor Reyn is teaching, not babysitting."

Severus huffed and crossed his arms, "I am not a baby."

Handing him the book, Albus rose a single eyebrow at his actions. "You are acting like one right now."

Taking the book, Severus spun on his heel and stomped to the chair in front of his father's big desk. "Fine! I'll read the dumb book. . . "

Albus sighed softly and returned to his desk, "Watch your tone, Severus Tobius." He glanced over at Harry and noticed he had finished up to 'G'. He could tell Harry was starting to struggle and the boy's patience was starting to thin. "It's alright, Harry. Take your time. Focus on what the letter looks like. If it helps, trace the letter already written and then try to create your own."

Harry nodded and tried again.

After about an hour of having the boys studying (Harry kept tracing his letters and Severus continued to read), Albus decided they needed a break to stretch their legs. "You may go for a walk down the corridor. Do not take turns, just go to the end of the corridor and turn back. If you are not back in fifteen minutes I will come looking for you."

Excited, Severus dropped the book and jumped to his feet. "Okay!" Looking at his slow brother, Severus sighed, "Hurry, Harry!"

Carefully, Harry put the quill in the ink bottle and followed Severus out of the office.

They walked the corridor a couple times before Severus stopped at the entrance of a different corridor and stared down it. "Let's explore!"

Harry bit his lip, "He said not to take turns."

Severus rolled his eyes, "Are you always going to be a lame-o? You need to live a little! Sometimes when dad says no he really means, don't get caught."

Harry looked down the long, forbidden corridor. "Would we get in trouble?"

Severus shrugged. "Nah. We'd have to get caught first. Come on, Harry! Stop being such a goodie-goodie!"

Feeling pressured, Harry let out an deep, uneasy breath and took the first step into the corridor.

Seeing this, Severus jumped into the corridor and let out a yell of excitement. "It's about time you go against what we are told! I was worried you'd always be walking with a stick up your butt."

Harry frowned, not understanding what he meant by that. He stayed silent and followed Severus further down the corridor. He stared at the moving portraits with fascination. _Magic will never stop amazing me._

Hearing a loud, cackling laugh, Severus stopped dead in his tracks. "Did you hear that?"

With wide eyes, Harry looked around them, "What was it?!" He gave Severus a small frown, not sure if he was playing a cruel joke on him or not.

Severus moved closer to Harry and looked around the corridor, he didn't see anything. "I'm not sure."

The cackling grew louder and in flew the poltergeist, Peeves. "I spy with my little eye two scrumptious children!"

Harry frowned, he expected the poltergeist to be a lot scarier looking than he actually is. "Is your name Peeves?"

"My name is Peeves! And your name is?" Peeves flew down to be on their level.

"My name is Severus and this is Harry," Severus told him.

Peeves' eyes flashed with remembrance, "Professor Snape?"

Severus frowned, "I'm not old enough to be a Professor."

Peeves spun around in an excited circle, "Oh! Peeves knows something little SevviePooh knows not."

Glaring at him, Severus growled, "Don't call me that."

Harry couldn't help the small laugh that escaped.

"What do you know that I don't?" Severus demanded.

Peeves wagged his eyes at him, "I cannot say, SevviePooh! You must find out by yourself!"

Severus stomped his foot and headed back in the direction that they came from, "I told you not to call me that!"

Harry watched Severus' retreating back with conflicting feelings: part of him wants to follow but the other part wants to keep talking to Peeves. He decided on staying.

"Do you want to see a secret room?" Peeves questioned. He couldn't help but like this little boy, he seemed so innocent and he loves destroying innocence.

Harry's eyes lit up with excitement. "Is it a big secret?"

Peeves nodded and started floating down the corridor, "Follow me!"

Harry obediently followed. The walk was long and confusing, they took so many turns he couldn't even find his way back to the office if he was left alone.

Peeves came to a stop in front of a portrait of a dragon, "Not many people know of this room. I like you and therefore I think you should be allowed to use this room." With that, he floated through the portrait.

Confused, Harry felt the edge of the portrait until he found a handle. Opening the portrait he stepped inside. In the room was a fireplace, a brown couch, a table and walls full of bookshelves.

He stared at the books in want, _I wish I could read. . ._

"If you ever want to plot pranks with me, meet me here!" Peeves exclaimed as he spun around the room in excitement. _Who better to have as a prank friend than the younglin of a Maurader?_

Harry smiled and took a seat on the couch, "You want to be my friend?"

Peeves nodded, "It's lonely here. The students don't like my pranks and the professors ignore me."

"I'll be your friend!" Harry exclaimed. _If he trusts me to see his secret room then I should trust him too._

Peeves smiled, "Good, good! Then we shall meet sometime soon and plot a prank!" With that, he flew through the wall and disappeared.

Harry immediately began to panic, "Wait! Peeves!" When he didn't return, Harry felt his heart tighten. "I don't know how to get back. . ." With worry weighing on his heart, Harry exited the private room and decided to turn left. His breathing quickened as he realized that fifteen minutes had obviously gone by and Albus was probably looking for him. _Not only was I not allowed to leave the corridor but I got myself lost! Why did Peeves leave me?_

"Harry?" A boys voice came from behind him.

Stopping, Harry turned and looked at the red-head. He immediately reminded him of a Weasley. "Yes?"

The boy smiled and hurried to his side, "My name is Bill Weasley. Your father is looking for you. Come, I will take you back to the office."

Harry let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you! I followed Peeves and then he left me and now I'm lost."

Bill nodded in understanding, "Peeves likes to cause trouble. He probably knew you were being looked for before he even took you on the adventure."

Harry frowned, _He said he was my friend. . ._

Bill put a comforting hand on his shoulder and led him back to the office.

"Is he mad?" Harry questioned in a quiet voice.

Bill squeezed his shoulder lightly in comfort, "He is not pleased." He looked down and noticed Harry's fear-filled face. "Don't worry, he's not too mad."

Harry gave a silent, small nod of his head. He didn't have to wait long before he was once again in the office. He noticed Severus seated at his desk writing something on a piece of parchment. He could feel Albus' eyes burrowing into his head and he refused to look up. He stared at his trainers and then looked over to Max. He had left him here earlier because he thought they were only going for a small walk - not a huge adventure!

"Thank you for bringing him to me, Bill. Fifty points to Gryffindor!" Albus gave him a smile and then nodded to the door. Once the door closed behind the red-head, Albus sighed softly and came around his desk to kneel in front of Harry. He gently took hold of his chin and made him look at him. "Tell me what happened."

After a few attempts, Harry had finally managed to tell him about his adventure with Peeves.

Severus looked up from his parchment with shining eyes, "A room full of books?!"

Albus frowned, "Return to your lines, Severus." Once Severus was writing again, Albus sighed softly. "That is Peeves' personal room. I do not want you going there again. Peeves is irresponsible and loves to cause trouble."

Harry nodded, "He said he was my friend but then he left me."

Albus nodded, "That is what Peeves does, Harry. Now, what have you learned?"

With his eyes dropped, he whispered, "Listen to you."

Albus nodded, "When I tell you not to leave the corridor I expect you to follow my rules."

"Are you mad at me?" Harry all but whispered.

Sighing, Albus led the small boy over to the desk, "No, I am disappointed in your choice of actions. I want you to write 'I will follow the rules' fifteen times."

Harry sighed deeply and sat down. _I hate quills._

When the boys were finished with their lines, Albus had them move to sit in the chairs in front of his desk. "Now, today I am going to teach the two of you about blood statuses."

Severus sighed, already bored. "I already know about the statuses. Can't we learn about something less boring?"

Albus leveled him with a firm look. "I am sure that there are things you can still learn about blood statuses, Severus." Once both looked like they were ready, Albus started, "Now, there are three types of magical blood: pure blood, half-blood, and muggle born. Pure blood is a child born of two magical parents. A half-blood is a child born of one magical parent and one muggle parent. A muggle born is a child whom is born from muggles but possess the magical abilities that every witch and wizard have. Now, there are also Squibs. A Squib is a witch or wizard whose magical core is dead. Basically a Squib is a reverse muggle born: he or she is a muggle born from two magical parents."

Severus smirked, "Flinching Filch is a Squib."

Albus leveled him with a disapproving look, "Mind your manners, Severus."

Harry furrowed his brow, "What am I?"

"You are a pure blood. Both Lily and James Potter were magical," Albus explained softly.

Severus crossed his arms and slouched in the chair, "Can we learn about something fun now?"

Albus smiled, "Lunch will be starting in twenty minutes. What would you like to learn about between now and then?"

"Potions!" Severus all but shouted.

"I will talk to Professor Reyn and see if he will show you a couple potions later today or some other time when he is not busy. I cannot promise anything, Sev. Okay?" At his excited nod, Albus directed him to the shelf of potion books, "To occupy your time you can read these. Harry, I want to keep working on your quill skills. Your mother wants you to be able to write comprehensible letters by your next day at Pre-School."

Harry sighed softly and made his way to the desk, "I'm never going to get it."

Albus moved over and pulled a seat over to sit beside him. "With that attitude you will not. This is foreign to you, you need to give yourself credit for the hard work and success you have already achieved."

Harry picked up the quill, "Alright. . . It just feels like my handwriting will never look like Severus'. I can't write a sentence if I don't know how to read. . ."

Albus patted his back comfortingly, "Minerva wrote to Molly about giving you lessons, she should be getting a response soon. If Molly cannot teach you then we will set aside an hour every day after supper to give you a reading lesson."

"Why is Severus so much smarter than me?" Harry whispered as he dipped the tip into the ink.

"You are beating yourself up, Harry. You have to remember where you came from. You were raised by muggles for most of your life - all of this is different to you. Severus has had many years with this knowledge."

Harry nodded, "If you say so. . . "

Albus gave him a soft smile, "Yes, I say so. Now, let's trace your name."

* * *

As soon as they entered the Great Hall, Harry searched for Minerva. Seeing her, he sprinted toward the Head Table, a huge smile plastered on his face. "Minerva! Minerva!" He panted as he came to a stop in front of her, "Guess what!"

She smiled and glanced at the wide-eyed students in the Great Hall. "Yes, dear?"

"I can write my name!" Harry exclaimed with excitement. His face lit up with pride as he waited for her to praise him like Albus had.

Standing, Minerva pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "I am so proud of you, Harry! I knew you could do it!"

Giggling, Harry closed his eyes and leaned into the hug. He pulled Max up into the hug as well so he could experience the nice, warm hug. "Thanks! I want to learn how to write Max's name too!"

Albus chuckled as he came to the two, "After lunch we will go over Max's name, Harry."

Once Minerva let go of the small boy, Poppy pulled him into her own hug. "You are learning so much, Harry. You can do anything you set your mind to!"

Severus rolled his eyes and grabbed a roll. _What's so special about writing his name? I've been able to do that for YEARS!_

"I heard you had a run-in with Peeves today, Harry," Professor Flitwick said, a couple seats down.

Harry nodded, "He seemed nice until he left me all alone. I got lost! Bill Weasley found me though and brought me back to Albus' office."

Filius nodded his head, "That was awfully nice of Mr. Weasley, Harry. I thought Nearly Headless Nick warned you about Peeves this morning?"

Harry dropped his eyes, "He did." He ran his fingers on Max's fur as if to comfort himself from Filius' questions. He definitely did not like how his questions were making him feel guilty inside.

"Then why did you follow Peeves?" Filius questioned.

Minerva nodded in agreement, "That's a good question, Filius."

With a soft blush on his cheeks, Harry mumbled, "I thought he was nice. He said he was my friend."

Filius tilted his head in understanding, "Ah, yes, I see. Well, you know now."

Harry nodded and slouched a little in his chair. He held Max against him and rubbed his thumb over Max's stitches. _I wish they would stop. Does everyone know?!_

Minerva gave a warning tap of her fingers in front of his chair. When Harry immediately sat up straight, she couldn't help but smile. _He is learning quickly._ "Harry, Severus, we will be going to the Ministry of Magic after classes today."

Intrigued, Severus paused in his eating, "What are we doing there?"

"We have some business to attend to," Minerva answered smoothly.

"What's the Ministry of Magic?" Harry questioned as he played with a noodle on his plate.

"Do you know how in the muggle world there is a building where the people in charge of society meet?" At Harry's nod, Minerva continued, "Well, the Ministry of Magic is a building where aurors (which are people who fight for us and catch criminals) and the Minister and the other important people meet. The Ministry of Magic governs the magical world of Great Britain and Ireland." She tried her best to word this in the simplest way possible, knowing that Harry wouldn't know any wizarding terms. "There are seven departments. Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Department of Mysteries, Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Department of International Magical Cooperation, Department of Magical Transportation, and the Department of Magical Games and Sports." She smiled at Harry's wide-eyed expression. "The department we will be going to is the Department of Mysteries. In the Department of Mysteries we will be going to the Brain Chamber to see Mr. Croaker."

"Are they going to prod our brains like aliens?" Harry questioned. He bounced Max up and down on his knee as his excitement grew.

Severus rolled his eyes, "Aliens don't exist."

Looking exasperated, Harry quickly responded, "Well, witches and wizards didn't exist to me until a few days ago; So, beg my pardon if I don't close the door to the existence of aliens just yet!"

Shocked, Severus raised his hands in the air in surrender. "Where did that vocabulary come from?"

Minerva reached over and lightly smacked Severus' arm, "Be nice to your brother." _Harry seems to be getting comfortable with our family if he is willing to show his true colors and talk-back to Sev._

Harry crossed his arms, letting Max sit on his lap. "I'm not stupid."

Severus smirked, "You're not stupid, you're just dimwitted."

"You're dimwitted!" Harry snapped back. _How dare he question my intelligence! Dudley did that too! I am super smart, I just don't show it!_

Minerva reached over and lightly smacked them both on their hands. She kept her voice stern as she snapped, "Now that is enough you two! I will have no more bickering at this table or I will take you both home for a smacking. Am I quite clear?"

Harry and Severus had the decency to blush and nod their heads. They mumbled their apologies and slowly returned to their food.

Minerva let out a small sigh. The only good thing about her handing out that threat and smacking their hands was the fact that, surprisingly, Harry took it extremely well. She expected Harry to curl in on himself or have a panic attack but instead he blushed and apologized like a normal misbehaved child.

She tried not to smile as she looked at her two boys, _Progress._

Albus leveled the boys with a firm look, "I do not want to hear your mother say one more word to you about your behaviors."

Harry and Severus immediately nodded their heads, not wanting to cause more trouble or attention to themselves.

Minerva tried to remember what even started this whole argument. Once she figured it out she answered Harry's question. "Now, Harry, they are going to prod your head in a sense."

"Only mine?" Harry questioned in a small voice.

Minerva nodded, "Yes, only yours."

"Why?" He squeezed Max tight, fearing the answer.

Albus took his turn in answering Harry's questions. "We need a copy of your memories for the trial of your aunt and uncle, dear boy." He immediately noticed Harry's pale face, that is until Harry hid his face in Max's fur. "It's all going to be alright, Harry. There is nothing to fear."

Harry shook his head, "Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon are going to be mad at me."

Realizing that this wasn't the place to hold this conversation but knowing that Harry needed it out now, Albus waved his wand and put his small family in a silencing bubble. "They cannot hurt you anymore, Harry. I promise!"

"Are they going to be in trouble?" Harry whispered. He squeezed Max in a death grip and bit his lip with worry.

Severus nodded, "They deserve to be in trouble for causing you nightmares like that! I bet they'll get a bare bottom spanking for sure!"

Albus nodded, keeping his face serious. "That's not all that they will get, boys. Harry, your relatives are going to be put away for a long time for what they did to you."

Harry dropped his eyes, feeling guilty. "It's my fault though. They only did it because of who I am. They never wanted me. . ."

Minerva's heart clenched and she had to close her eyes to keep herself from breaking down.

Albus, too, was at a loss of words.

Severus, though young, had the wisest of words to say. "When you are given a toy as a present and it's not particularly the present you want, do you harm the toy?" At Harry's shake of his head, he continued, "Do you rip it apart and make it feel like trash?" Again, he watched Harry shake his head. "Good. Now, is it the toy's fault that it wasn't the toy you truly wanted?" He smiled as Harry, once again, shook his head. "So what you are telling me is this: Even if you never wanted this toy you would still treat it respectively?"

Harry sighed softly, fully understanding what Severus was getting at. "Yes, I would."

Minerva and Albus exchanged smiles.

"Then why are you to blame for their actions?" Severus asked. "You are a child, they are the adults. It is an adult's job to take care of children. They failed you and you shouldn't be the one apologizing or feeling guilty - they should."

Harry sniffled and closed his eyes. He held Max against him and took in a few deep, calming breaths.

"Do you understand?" Severus pressed.

Harry opened his eyes and nodded his head, "Thank you."

Severus shrugged nonchalantly, "That's what brothers do. Now, how about those aliens, Knucklehead?"

Minerva couldn't help but smile as she tried to level Severus with a disapproving frown, "Don't call names, Severus."

Smiling, Severus returned to distracting Harry from all the worries of the Ministry.

The rest of lunch went smoothly and Minerva received a response from Molly Weasley saying that she would be honored to help Harry learn how to read. Towards the end of lunch, Harry and Severus had set up a play-date with Fang and Hagrid for the next day. Both boys were eager to roll around with the slobbering pup but their parents had quickly reminded them that their day was already full of plans.

Harry sighed as he watched some of the students stand to leave the Great Hall. "Why do some of the students look like they're being tortured?"

Severus smirked and swirled his glass of pumpkin juice, "Because this is school."

Minerva ruffled their hair and stood, "Alright boys, enough of your jokes. I believe you should be getting back to your father's office for more lessons, correct?"

Harry and Severus followed her lead and stood, pushing their seats in.

"Yes, ma'am! I can't wait to learn how to spell and pronounce more names!" Harry was almost bouncing on his feet with excitement; Max bouncing along from where he hung, loosely in Harry's grip.

Albus smiled and gently took hold of their shoulders, "Say goodbye to your mother, boys. You will see her at supper and then we will leave for the Ministry of Magic."

Harry and Severus quickly said their goodbyes and then returned to the Headmaster's office with Albus, neither knowing that their long day had only just begun.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**

 **Savoren.**


	6. Comfortable

**Chapter Six:**

 **Comfortable**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! I am so glad that you are enjoying this story!**

 **Savoren.**

As Albus sat with Harry to help him write out the capital forms of the alphabet with a quill, he took the opportunity to comment on earliers events. "You handled Minerva smacking your hand very well today."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and stared at his letters. "Sev got his hand smacked too and he said that neither of you would ever act like my relatives. Besides, it didn't even hurt!" He focused on doing his best form of hand writing.

Albus smirked, his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Well, don't say that to her, Harry. She'll make you trace more lines," he gave Harry a wink to show he was joking. He glanced over at Severus and realized he was almost finished reading Hogwarts, A History. He forced his surprise off his face as he said, "You are a fast reader, Sev. When you are finished I want you to practice your cursive hand writing." He noticed Severus leave out a sigh. Albus stood and went over to him, "What is wrong, Sev?"

"Peeves called me Professor Snape earlier and then he said that he knows something that I don't. What does that mean? Why did he call me that?" Severus questioned. This has been eating him alive all day!

Albus sighed softly and lovingly ran his fingers through Severus' long hair. "Just ignore Peeves, Sev. I will speak to the poltergeist about this. Do not worry." With that, he wrote the cursive alphabet across the top of a piece of parchment and placed it in front of Severus. When that was finished, Albus returned to his desk to write to the Potion Masters, asking them to come to his office as soon as possible. After he sent the letters off, he pulled out another piece of parchment to send to the Ministry letting them know that they would be coming after supper. He sent this letter off too and then stood to go to a vault behind his desk. He unlocked the vault by placing his hand on the door. Albus reached in and looked for the 1991 student scroll. Returning to his desk, he waved his wand over the long parchment and added Severus' name to the class list.

After he returned the scroll and locked the vault he addressed the boys. "Now boys, here in a few moments a group of Potion Masters will be coming. I want you to sit at your desks, quietly and behave yourselves. Sev, I want you to continue with cursive writing and Harry I want you to keep practicing writing the capital alphabet. This time be mindful of ink blotches, Harry. I will be putting a silencing bubble around myself and the Potion Masters so you cannot eavesdrop on what we are discussing."

Severus frowned, growing very curious. "Is this about that cure?"

Albus nodded but leveled him with a firm look. "Yes but that is all you need to know, Severus. Alright, you two, get to work and behave yourselves!"

It didn't take long before the Potion Masters started filing into the office and stood before Albus' desk.

Like he had said, Albus quickly put a silencing spell around them and started the important meeting. "Minerva and I have decided that it would be in Severus' best interest if we allowed him to stay de-aged. We believe he deserves to start over and, hopefully, this time he will grow to be a happier man."

Zachary Reyn nodded his head in understanding; he couldn't help but feel relieved, this means he can keep his job! "We have been coming up short everywhere we look anyway. We had been starting to think that there is no cure."

Albus glanced over at the hard-working boys, "We appreciate all the work you had put into the research though. Your pay will be forwarded to your accounts." With that, he dismissed them and took down the silencing ward.

When the Potion Masters left the office, Albus sighed softly and went about watching and helping the boys with their lessons until it was time to leave for the Ministry.

* * *

Harry's jaw dropped as they entered the Ministry of Magic. The entrance area was crowded and full of busy bodies and newspaper vendors.

He felt Albus' hand tighten around his and lead him to their destination.

Just as they were about to enter the elevator they were stopped by a man with an odd looking camera. "Harry Potter! Pose with your guardians for the Daily Prophet!"

Harry felt himself begin to panic. He held Max tight with one hand and clenched Albus' hand with his other one.

Albus gave Harry's hand a comforting pat. Leveling the cameraman with a daring look, Albus said, "We have places to be. Please move aside so we can be on our way," Albus tried to keep his voice level and calm even though he could sense Harry's panic growing.

Severus held on to Minerva's hand as he noticed a lot of other people stop and stare at them.

"Come now, one picture won't take too long!" The cameraman practically begged.

Seeing Harry's scared face, Sev gave the annoying man a disgusted look. "We said no and you are in our way. Move it!"

Surprised at the child's daring words, the cameraman stepped to the side and let them on the elevator. Just as the doors shut though, he snapped a picture of the small family.

Albus fumed, "The rudeness of people is astonishing!" He pressed the elevator button and allowed Harry to hide behind him.

When they got off the elevator at the Brain Chamber they were ushered into a small, comfortable siting area. The woman who led them in here introduced herself as Mrs. Hedley and then continued to explain to Harry the process of copying memories and storing them in a pensieve.

"The trial is next week. Since you are a child you will not be put on the stand. That is why we are copying your memories instead. You do not even have to come to the trial if you don't want to."

Harry stared at the black-haired lady with a frown. "If my aunt and uncle get in trouble what will happen to my cousin Dudley?"

"He has been staying with Vernon's sister, Marge. I believe Marge will be taking his guardianship after the trial." She watched Harry cringe at hearing that name and then she continued, "Alright, I am going to get two witnesses and then will be back to review your memories." With that, she left the room.

Harry fidgeted nervously in the chair. _They are going to see everything! They will never look at me the same again!_

When Mrs. Hedley and the two witnesses returned to the room Albus and Minerva followed them, leaving the two boys alone in the room.

Severus glanced over to see Harry rocking back and forth with his knees pulled up to his chest. "Whatever they see in there, Harry, it's going to be okay."

Harry shook his head and whispered, "I don't want them to know."

"They already know! They just haven't seen it yet," Severus pointed out.

Harry let out a deep sigh and slouched further in the chair, "You're not helping."

"Sorry, Harry. I'm just trying to point out the facts. What are you afraid of? They have already proven to you that they won't treat you wrong or differently because of your past. They have already proven that they are good guardians to you. They have also proven that they will never harm you. They even kept their promise that they wouldn't spank you until you are comfortable with knowing that it wouldn't be abuse - if I had been the one who was gone so long and they couldn't find, I would have gotten my butt smacked but because you aren't comfortable with that yet, dad had you trace lines. So, you know they can keep promises. What is there to be afraid of?" Severus moved from his chair to sit on the arm of Harry's chair.

Harry sighed deeply and let go of his legs. "It's embarrassing."

Severus could understand that. "I know but everyone here only wants to help you. They will never do anything to make your embarrassment worse. I hope you know that, right?"

Harry stared into his "brother's" eyes and only saw sincerity. "Yeah, I know. I just wish it could stay my secret forever."

"Secrets can eat you alive," Severus muttered. He looked around the room before jumping off the arm of the chair and moving toward the mahogany desk in the corner of the room. Opening the drawers, he looked through them for anything that would catch his attention.

"What are you looking for?" Harry asked as he moved to stand next to him.

Severus shrugged, "Anything that catches my eye."

"That's called stealing," Harry mumbled.

Severus rolled his eyes, "I'm not stealing. I'm just looking!" Pulling out a rolled up piece of parchment, Severus unrolled it and quickly scanned the parchment. Seeing nothing important, Severus dropped the parchment back into the drawer and closed it. "Lame." He flopped down on the spinning desk chair. "How much longer do you think this will take? I'm bored!"

Harry shrugged and sat down, "Not sure. . ." He anxiously waited for the adults to return. He kept glancing from his spinning brother to the door and back to his hands.

After what felt like forever, the door opened and in stepped a furious looking Albus and a crying Minerva.

Severus immediately stopped spinning and looked at Harry with wide, curious eyes. _What could possibly have been in those memories? I know his aunt and unlce weren't the nicest but for dad to be that mad?_

Mrs. Hedley had a solemn look on her face, the memories had hit her hard. She kept her voice even as she told everyone in the room, "With this evidence there is absolutely no possible way Vernon and Petunia Dursley will be walking free after the trial. They will be lucky if they are not given a Dememtor's kiss for these horrendous actions."

Shaking from nervousness, Harry wished he could disappear forever. Heated embarrassment appeared on his cheeks and he squeezed Max tight, hiding his face in his fur.

Noticing Harry's actions, Severus tried to comfort him - after all, that's the job of a big brother, even if he is only seven months older than Harry! He moved from the desk chair to stand beside him, "They're not upset with you. They're upset with your relatives."

Harry gave a timid, unsure nod at hearing that. Looking to the adults in the room, his eyes still held raw fear. "What is a Dementor's kiss?" Harry finally had the courage to ask.

The adults quickly exchanged looks before Minerva quickly wiped away her stray tears and held out her hands for the two boys to take. It was harder for her to keep her voice from cracking than she expected, her tears were still begging to become free. "That is nothing that little boys need to be concerned about or have the knowledge of. Let's go. Are you hungry for some ice cream?"

Harry allowed the topic change even though he still wanted to know the answer. He followed Albus and Minerva out of the small room and into the long, cold corridor. He rolled his eyes as he watched Severus bounce beside him, excited for ice cream.

When they got to the ice cream parlor Severus ordered a small dish of vanilla ice cream, Albus ordered a strawberry banana milkshake and Minerva ordered a dish of tea-berry ice cream. When it came to Harry's turn to order, he shied away and hid behind Albus' legs.

"Harry, dear, what kind of ice cream would you like?" Minerva asked gently.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and held Max tight.

Severus rolled his eyes and eyed him with impatience, "What's wrong with you? Have you never had ice cream before?!"

Minerva immediately landed a small, warning smack to Severus' trouser clad bottom. He gave him a warning look and then turned back to Harry and knelt in front of him, "Is this your first time having ice cream?"

Albus gave the worker an apologetic look but the man waved it off, understanding that children struggle with choosing their flavors - besides, he has all day!

Harry squeezed Max and gave a small nod, "Yes, ma'am."

She gave him an encouraging smile, "Well, you will love it! Have you ever heard of any flavors that you wanted to try?"

Harry bit his lip and stared at Max. He could remember all the times Dudley would sit with a huge container of mint chocolate chip ice cream in front of the telly - he would always be yelled at if he stared at it too long. In a quiet, timid voice, he finally whispered, "Mint chocolate chip, please?"

Smiling, Minerva stood and turned to the worker, "Thank you for your patience. He would like a small dish of mint chocolate chip, please?"

Albus quickly paid for their ice cream and then they went and sat at a booth.

Harry stared at the green, cold treat with excitement shining in his eyes. Finally he can try Dudley's favorite treat! He took the spoon and curiously poked it. The spoon smoothly went through and he easily scooped up a spoonful of it. He brought it to his nose and gave a small sniff, minty.

Smiling, Harry lowered the bite of ice cream down to his lips and cautiously put it in his mouth. Immediately the ice cream began to melt on his tongue. He closed his eyes and savored the taste, feeling, and smell. _Ice cream is the best thing in the whole entire world!_

Minerva and Albus exchanged smiled and began eating their own ice cream. Severus was too busy devouring his to notice Harry's first taste of ice cream.

The peace and quiet didn't last long as a tall, skinny lady hurried to their table. She had heard word of the small family at the ice cream parlor and had quickly made her way for an interview.

Albus' face immediately turned sour at the sight of Rita Skeeter. They already had one issue with a reporter today, he did not want to deal with another one! "We would prefer to be left alone, Skeeter."

She tsked and gave him a wink, "Don't be silly, old man." Looking to Harry, she sized him up with a hungry smile. "How do you like your new guardians, Mr. Potter?"

Harry paused his movements, his spoon halfway to his mouth. He frowned as he didn't recognize her. "They are wonderful," He answered quietly as he lowered his spoon back to the dish.

She nodded to her floating quill and it immediately started scribbling away on a floating piece of parchment. "Wonderful!" Her eyes flashed as she proceeded to move along with her questions, "How does it feel to be the only person in the world to survive the killing curse?" She knew this was the first interview, _ever_ , for the young Potter and so she dived into the juicy questions right away.

Harry cringed at the question and pulled Max up on his lap higher. He glanced at Minerva and Albus with fear in his eyes.

"I would like to, respectfully, ask you to leave now. We would like to finish our ice cream," Albus told the lady. Harry recognized his tone as a warning tone - his guardian's patience for the lady was wearing thin.

Rita waved him off and eyed Harry curiously, "Who do you have there?" She pointed to the ragged bear. Her quill continued to scribble away.

Harry held Max up and hid his face again. "Max," he mumbled.

"Max?" Rita smirked. "How. . . Cute?" She winked at Minerva, "Will you answer my question now, Mr. Potter?"

Severus felt himself growing angrier and angrier by the minute. First this lady had the gull to interrupt their ice cream time but then she degraded Max? She won't even listen to his daddy! Severus glowered at her and put his dish down, "My father told you to leave!"

Minerva immediately gave him a stern look but stayed silent.

Severus ignored the warning look and stood from his seat, "You're not wanted here." When she had the nerves to smirk at him, Severus gave her a hard push and yelled, "Go away!"

"Severus Tobius!" Minerva snapped dangerously.

Rita Skeeter's smirk grew as she stared at the now pink cheeked boy, "Snape." She looked at the floating quill and it started scribbling faster than before. With that, she and her floating quill headed for the parlor exit, having gotten all the information they needed. As she reached the door she turned and said to Albus and Minerva, "You might want to reign your children in. The one refuses to speak when spoken to and the other," she smirked at Severus, "Well, I'll just leave that there." Satisfied and thinking that her point was known, Rita Skeeter left the ice cream parlor to write up a front-page worthy report.

Albus leveled his son with a disappointed look when the door closed behind the lady, "Why did you push her, Severus?"

Biting his lip, he dropped his eyes to the table-top. "I was trying to help. She wasn't leaving!"

"Watch your tone, young man! You will _not_ raise your voice at me. Am I quite understood?" Albus snapped dangerously.

Severus immediately nodded his head, "Yes, sir. I'm sorry, dad."

"Do we push people?" Albus asked the boy.

Severus dropped his eyes in shame. He nibbled on his lip as he felt the tips of his ears heat.

Albus rose his eyes when his son did not answer him. "Severus Tobius, do we push people?"

Hearing the sternness in his father's tone, Severus knew he better answer the question this time. "No, dad."

Giving a firm nod of his head, he pointed to Severus' ice cream, "Please finish your ice cream so we can return home. Instead of playing chess tonight you will sit at the desk and write twenty lines of 'I will not push people'."

Severus huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Would you prefer I take you to the loo and put you over my knee?" Albus questioned. At Severus' wide eyes and hurried head shake, Albus said, "I thought not." He let out a soft sigh and motioned for them to continue eating.

Not long after they started to eat, Harry's melting ice cream dripped on Max. Horrified he immediately grabbed a napkin and tried to wipe it clean. Hot tears appeared in his eyes as he realized that even if he got most of it off, Max would still be sticky.

Minerva placed a gentle hand on Harry's to stop him, "Do you want me to clean Max for you?"

Harry gave a small nod of his head as he stared at Max with sad eyes. _I can't believe I did that!_

Minerva quickly waved her wand over Max and soon he was so clean he looked brand new. Well, besides the stitches and missing eye. "Would you like me to fix Max?"

Shaking his head, Harry denied her offer. "No thank you. Max feels tough with his warrior scars!" He smiled as he held his clean bear against his chest.

Minerva couldn't help the amused smile from appearing on her lips. She leaned back against the booth and enjoyed the rest of their time at the ice cream parlor.

* * *

 **Age Limit to Parenting?**

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (age 99) and Minerva Isobel McGonagall (age 56) are currently the parents of de-aged, six-year old Severus Tobius Snape. They are also the current guardians of the one and only, Boy-Who-Lived a.k.a Harry James Potter. Potter is also six-years old.

Last evening I had the _pleasure_ to meet this small family at the ice cream parlor by the Ministry of Magic. With this small visit I learned many interesting things and questions rose in me. One of these questions is: are Dumbledore and McGonagall too old to parent such important figures of the Wizarding World? In their care, the children seem out-of-control. Snape has the tongue of a sinful snake and the temper of a bull. Snape even had the audacity to push me during my interview. Potter, though didn't seem out-of-control, was timid and shy. Do we want our savior to be timid or shy? Perhaps Dumbledore and McGonagall cannot raise these two boys to be all that they need and are capable of being.

Should there be an age limit of being a parent? Do you think Dumbledore and McGonagall are too old and unfit to be the parents of these boys?

Do what is right for the Wizarding World.

Albus slammed the Daily Prophet down on the tabletop, fury exploding through his veins. "That bit-" He immediately clamped his mouth shut as a sleepy-eyed Severus stumbled into the kitchen. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his nerves.

Minerva rubbed Albus' hand in comfort, "It will be fine. Everyone knows Skeeter is ridiculous."

"What's wrong?" Severus mumbled as he sat in his seat and pulled over a cup of orange juice.

"Nothing, dear," Minerva quickly answered.

Albus sighed, realizing that he would need to go to the Ministry of Magic and have a discussion with the Board and Skeeter before this got out of hand. "While your mother is in class I will be going to the Ministry to have an important discussion. I am going to contact Professor Reyn and see if he will let you sit-in on his class until I return. Harry will be going to Molly Weasley's house for reading lessons. After lunch I have plans that the two of you will be going to Hagrid's to play with Fang."

"I'm going to the Weasley house?" Harry asked, excitement obvious in his voice. He quickly took his seat and grabbed a piece of toast.

"Yes, after breakfast I will be taking you." Albus stood to contact Professor Reyn.

* * *

When Harry entered the busy Weasley house, he immediately felt overwhelmed. He hid behind Albus' legs for a good fifteen minutes until Molly and Ron successfully convinced him to leave him go.

Albus knelt down in front of him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I want you to behave for Mrs. Weasley and do your best. I will come and get you a half an hour before lunch. Have fun, Harry." He took his leave and went to the Ministry of Magic to fix Skeeter's mess.

Ron smiled at Harry in welcome, "How do you like our home?"

Harry looked around the room, the twins were currently running around the living room hitting each other with Chudley Canon foam fingers. Percy is yelling at the twins to be quiet because he is reading a book and Ginny is loudly playing with a doll on the floor. "It's. . . Busy."

Ron smiled and nodded his head vigorously, "You should see it when Bill and Charlie are home!"

"Fred, George! No running in the house!" Molly snapped irritably as she tried to lead Harry and Ron into the kitchen. "Percy, do not yell at your brothers!"

Entering the kitchen, Harry found himself seated at the table and Molly sat between him and Ron. She pulled out a small book and flipped it open, "I want you to take turns telling me what each letter sounds like."

They worked on this until both boys said each letter right and then she moved on to putting the letters together and what they sound like.

Harry felt himself grow proud as he worked hard with Molly and Ron. With Molly's help and Ron's encouragement he was able to read the first sentence of the book!

Everything went smoothly until the twins ran into the kitchen and ran into the counter, knocking over a vase and smashing it into a million pieces.

Molly jumped to her feet and with a swish of her wand, cleaned the broken glass up before the boys got hurt. "What did I tell you about running in the house?!"

Her yell made Harry jump and he quickly grabbed Max from the seat beside him and held his bear tight.

The twins halted at her yell and immediately dropped their eyes to the floor, knowing they were in trouble.

"How many times a day do I need to tell you not to run? It is dangerous!" Molly continued to yell, her face growing red with frustration.

Ron looked over and noticed Harry's pale, frightened face. "It's okay. They're just in trouble - they always find mischief."

Harry squeezed Max against him and closed his eyes.

Ron sighed softly and stood from the table as he watched his mother pull out the wooden spoon, "Come on, Harry. I want to show you my room."

Seeing the spoon, Harry gulped to fix his dry throat and hurried to follow Ron upstairs.

As they got to his bedroom Ron quickly closed the door to the sound of his brothers' spanking and flashed Harry a smile. "Do you like it?" He sighed when he noticed Harry's scared face. "Tell me exactly what is wrong? Is it because the twins are in trouble?"

Harry sat down on Ron's bed beside him and gave a nod of his head. "Spoon?"

Ron nodded, "It's mum's favorite method. I prefer the spoon over the slipper or switch any day! Haven't you ever gotten the spoon?"

Harry dropped his eyes, "I want to go home."

Ron frowned, "Why?" Ron tried to get him to look at him, "Tell me what's wrong!"

"I was never spanked with a spoon. I was b-beaten with my uncle's b-belt instead. . ." Harry mumbled.

Ron flinched and gave a shake of his head, "That's abuse." It didn't take long for him to put two and two together. He quickly tried to help him calm down, "My mum isn't abusive, I promise! Some parents use paddles, switches, spoons, and some even use belts. What makes it non-abusive is the number of swats and how hard they are. Mum never crosses that line!"

Harry felt confused. "Albus and Minerva said that I would only ever be s-spanked with their hand."

Ron nodded, "Some parents believe that too. You're lucky if you ask me!" Ron tried to keep the conversation going by asking, "Have you been in trouble with them yet?"

Harry felt awkward with this conversation, "Reprimanded," He muttered.

Ron smiled, "Why are you so embarrassed? In this house one of us kids get in trouble at _least_ once a day!" He let out a small laugh at this. "It's kind of like a game - see who gets under mum's skin first."

Harry couldn't help but laugh along, Ron makes it easy to relax. "I'd be too scared to do that!"

"Right now you are too scared to do that but once you become comfortable with your guardians then it wont' bother you as much if you get in trouble. Are you comfortable with your guardians?" Ron questioned.

Harry thought about it. Is he comfortable with them? Sure, he is comfortable with knowing that they are taking care of him. He is comfortable with knowing that Severus is his new brother. He is also comfortable with the rules. Though, is he comfortable with the consequences? Being reprimanded felt horrible but he wasn't pushed away afterward. Is he comfortable enough for them to spank him? Even though he doesn't _want_ to be punished that way, deep down, Harry knows he can trust that they wouldn't abuse him and that he wouldn't be pushed away afterward. So, he is comfortable with his guardians?

Harry gave a small smile and nodded his head, "They're the best." _They are just like my Daydream Family._

Ron smiled back and convinced him to play a game of exploding snap until his mother comes to finish their reading lesson.

* * *

Albus had come and gotten Harry after fixing the Daily Prophet incident. Rita Skeeter is being forced to write an apology report to Albus and Minerva and then in that same report write out the statistics and the number of wizarding children that are being raised by elderly guardians.

When they sat down at the Head Table he was bombarded by an excited Severus who showed him a capped vial with clear liquid inside, "Look, dad! Look! Professor Reyn helped me make this potion and told me I could keep it!"

Immediately Albus looked over at Zachary with a raised eyebrow.

Zachary chuckled softly, "Sev, tell him what it is."

With a proud smile, Severus sat down beside his father and tucked the vial in his pocket. "Bubble juice!"

Albus smiled, "Good job, Sev! I'm proud of you! Did you behave for Professor Reyn?" Here he looked to Zachary.

Zachary nodded, "He was very well behaved - better than the class even! He helped me get the ingredients, hand out assignments, and write on the board. I'll take him anytime you need me to, Albus."

Albus smiled as Severus grinned proudly.

"I want to be a Potions Professor like you someday," Severus told Zachary with a determined glint in his eye.

Zachary chuckled and raised his goblet to the young boy, "Oh, Sev, I am positive that you will make a wonderful Potions Professor." He gave Albus a wink and then turned to speak with Professor Quirrell.

Jittery with pride and happiness, Severus bounced up and down in his seat, impatiently waiting for the food to appear on the tables.

"And how about you, Harry? Did you enjoy your time at the Weasleys?" Minerva questioned as she poured the two boys a glass of water.

Harry gave a small smile and nodded his head, "It was nice. Loud and busy but nice. Mrs. Weasley can be loud and intimidating when she's mad," He admitted quietly.

Minerva smiled softly and held in her laugh. "Yes, yes she can be. However, she can also be one of the sweetest, loving people you might ever meet. What did you do to deserve her ire, young man?" She gave him a stern look to make sure he wouldn't lie.

Harry quickly shook his head, "Nothing, Minerva! It was the twins - Fred and George! They broke a vase and then she smacked their bottoms with her spoon."

Minerva and Albus exchanged looks, both were surprised that Molly's choice of corporal punishment hadn't affected Harry or frightened him. They chalked this up to progress with distinguishing the line between abuse and punishment. Perhaps he fully understands the line now?

Severus shivered at the thought of the spoon being smacked against his backside. "I've never been spanked with a spoon."

Albus nodded, "And you won't be unless you are being watched by the Weasleys and you misbehave to the point where she feels that you need the spoon."

Severus looked furious, "What?!"

"Lower your voice, young man," Minerva snapped as she watched the students file into the Great Hall.

"That's not fair though! She shouldn't be allowed to smack me," Severus stated with a huff.

"If we are under her roof and we misbehave it is only fair if she punishes us," Harry admitted to him in a quiet, almost timid voice, afraid to make Severus mad. What Harry had said only proved to Minerva and Albus more that he understood the line between abuse and discipline.

Severus gave him a nasty glare, "Shut up, Scarhead!" He was about to push him when he remembered last night's rebuke and he stopped himself. He seethed as he glared daggers at his younger brother.

Hurt but angry at the same time, Harry remembered when Dudley and his friends used to call him Scarhead. "Don't call me that!" He clenched his fists in anger. When the plates and glasses started to rattle in the Great Hall, he didn't even notice.

Severus noticed though and immediately understood that Harry was so angry that he was having a fit of accidental magic. "Harry, calm down. I'm sorry!"

The students stood from their seats as the glasses and plates exploded. They looked to the Head Table for help.

Albus stood from his seat and put an invisible barrier around himself and Harry. He reached down and took hold of his chin, "Get a hold of yourself, Harry." When Harry finally opened his eyes and looked at him, Albus gently gave him instructions. "Take deep, calming breaths." In the back of his mind he took note that this is just another example of how powerful Harry is.

Fear filled eyes looked up at him when the shaking finally stopped, "I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to! Please, you have to believe me!" _Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon would beat me raw if I had done this at home!_

Instead of answering right away, Albus wrapped Harry in a tight hug and then whispered to him, "You are fine. It is all over." Pulling out of the hug, he looked him up and down, checking for any injuries, "How are you feeling? Sleepy?"

Harry gave a nod of his head as he watched Albus take down the barrier.

Immediately Professor Reyn handed over a pepper-up potion, "It's alright, Harry. Accidental magic happens all the time."

With this finally fixed, Albus gave Severus a frown. "Why don't you apologize to Harry again since last time he couldn't hear you?"

Severus bit his lip but did as he was told. "I'm sorry, Harry."

As the boys took their seats, Albus waved his wand and fixed all the glasses and plates around the Great Hall. "Surely you understand a young boy's accidental magic. Everyone, please return to your meals." He sat down and rubbed his forehead, he could feel a headache starting to form.

Hagrid noticed his rubbing and said cheerfully, "No worries, 'eadmaster, I'll be takin' the little tykes from ya soon enough!" He flashed the six-year olds an excited smile.

They tried to ignore the whispers floating around the Great Hall about Harry's power filled magical core.

Albus nodded, "They really want to play with Fang."

Severus frowned and, feeling awkward, whispered to his father, "Actually, dad, I was wondering if I could go with Professor Reyn again? He said he would teach me how to make my bubbles unpoppable! Please, dad, please?"

Albus laughed and nodded his head, "If he is sure?" He glanced at Zachary and smiled when he was given a thumbs up. "Oh, alright, Sev." Looking to Hagrid, he gave him a small apologetic smile, "It looks like you will only be having Harry until supper."

Hagrid continued to smile and shrug his shoulders, "That's alright. We will 'ave a lot of fun!" He threw Harry a smile.

Harry couldn't help but smile back, this man seems awfully nice!

When lunch was over they all went their separate directions: Albus to the Headmaster's office to deal with an illegal duel between a Gryffindor and Slytherin, Minerva to her classroom and Severus went to Professor Reyn.

Harry followed Hagrid down to his hut and immediately dropped to his knees on the grass beside Fang. He rubbed the puppy's belly and laughed when Fang slobbered and tried to kiss him.

Hagrid chuckled and sat down on a log, "Do you like dogs, Harry?"

Harry frowned softly, "I like Fang! I didn't like my Aunt Marge's dog, Ripper. Ripper tried to bite me all the time!"

Hagrid frowned, he is aware of Harry's past. "Fang would never 'urt a fly." No sooner had he said that, Fang pulled Max out of Harry's hand and began to chew on him. "Fang! Give that back!" He pulled the toy out of Max's mouth and with an apologetic look, handed it back to the six-year old.

Harry quickly set about making sure Max was alright, "I'm sorry, Max. I shouldn't have brought you down here. I should have known a doggy would want to play with you too! I'm so sorry. . ." Seeing no rips, he wiped the saliva off him and handed Max to Hagrid, "Will you protect him?"

Honored, Hagrid took the stuffed bear with both hands, "With my life, 'arry." Standing, he moved toward his hut, "I'll put 'im inside where 'e can stay warm. You stay right there, you 'ear? Don't ya go into that forest, ya 'ear?"

Harry nodded but barely heard a word the man said, he was too busy rubbing Fang's belly and laughed when Fang would shake his back leg as if he were trying to run.

When Hagrid closed the hut door behind him, Fang jumped to his feet and strutted over to the door. He sniffed the air and then suddenly turned to the forest.

Harry frowned and immediately felt himself start to panic as he watched the puppy head into the scary looking forest. "Come back here, Fang! You shouldn't go in there without an adult!" Even saying that to the puppy though, Harry panicked and ran after him into the forest.

When Hagrid came back outside he couldn't find Harry or Fang anywhere. Panicked, he hurried to get Albus and Minerva.

TBC.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review :)**

 **Savoren.**


	7. Trouble

**Chapter Seven:**

 **Trouble**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **QUESTION: After the trial of Harry's relatives I have been thinking about doing a time-jump to where Harry and Sev are 11. I want your opinion on this. Would you like to continue reading Harry and Sev as they are now and watch them grow or would you like me to jump to where they can enter school?**

 **Savoren.**

After searching the forest for a half an hour, they heard a scream and a dog barking. Albus, Minerva and Hagrid hurried toward the sound - their hearts pounding.

When they arrived at where Harry and Fang were, Albus felt his blood run cold. He jabbed his wand out, making the swarm of young acromantulas scatter away.

Seeing his guardians, Harry ran with all of his might to their side. His breathing was hitched and panicked. Tears of fear stung his eyes. "I thought we were going to get eaten!"

Albus had to force himself from spinning the child to the side and landing a stinging slap to his backside. "Harry James Potter! What you have done was incredibly dangerous."

Feeling his mouth go dry, Harry dropped his eyes. "I know. I'm sorry." He sniffled, knowing that he was in a lot of trouble. "A-am I going to get a s-spanking?"

Albus glanced around the dark forest, "Come. We need to leave the forest."

Harry bit his lip and silently followed the adults out of the forest. He fiddled with his thumbs as he walked with his guardians to Hagrid's hut.

Hagrid quickly went inside and then brought out Max. He knelt down and handed Max to Harry. He gave the boy a small frown, "You really scared me, 'arry."

Hugging Max tight, Harry hid his face. "I'm sorry."

Placing a hand on Harry's shoulder, Albus gave him a pointed look. "Thank you for watching Harry and I am sorry that he was disobedient. If you do not want to watch him again, I will understand."

Seeing the little boy's sad face, Hagrid offered him a smile. "I forgive you, 'arry, and I will definitely 'ave you again. Cheer up, 'arry."

Guilt made his tummy ache. He felt Minerva take his hand and then quietly followed them back to the castle. _Severus would be getting a spanking if he had done this - I probably will be too._ He kept his eyes down and forced his tears to not appear. _I shouldn't have followed Fang into the forest!_

Entering the castle, Minerva glanced down at the guilty-face child and asked, "Why did you go into the forest, Harry?"

Harry sniffled and allowed them to continue holding his hands as they walked down the corridor. "Fang ran in there and I didn't want him to get lost or get hurt."

"Why did you not get Hagrid?" Albus questioned.

Harry let out a small sigh. "I'm not used to relying on adults."

Albus nodded, "You need to start getting used to it, Harry. We are not going anywhere."

Harry came to a halt and refused to keep moving. He stared at them, his emerald eyes filled with tears. "Do you promise?"

Kneeling, Minerva cupped his cheeks and placed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "We promise."

"Even after I was bad?" Harry whispered.

"There is nothing you can ever do that will make us go away," Minerva promised. She gave him a loving hug before standing and tugging his hand to keep walking down the corridor.

When they arrived at the portrait, Harry asked in a nervous voice, "Am I in trouble?"

Albus led him into their house and gave him a solemn nod. "Yes. Your actions cannot go without consequence."

Harry sniffled and nodded in understanding. He allowed himself to be led to the couch and then sat down.

Minerva sat down on the one side of Harry and Albus sat down on the other side.

"What did you do wrong, Harry?" Albus questioned.

Harry dropped his eyes and bit his lip.

"Please look at me when I ask you a question, Harry," Albus lightly reprimanded him.

Immediately Harry looked up at him. He bit his lip nervously and had to force himself from dropping his eyes again. "I went into the forest without an adult."

Albus nodded his head with encouragement. "And why was that wrong?"

Harry dropped his eyes but immediately rose them again when his guardian tapped his nose. "It was dangerous - we could have gotten eaten."

Minerva stood and gave him a confirming nod, "You put your life in danger, Harry."

Harry nodded, deep down he wished they would stop lecturing him and just get the punishment over with, the wait is scary enough. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

Minerva nodded and placed a small kiss to Harry's forehead, "Good. I need to go grade some essays. I want you to come see me after your punishment." She noticed Harry's cheeks turn pink at the word 'punishment' and so she gave him a comforting smile, "All will be ok."

Once she left Albus let out a deep sigh. He moved to sit up straighter and then patted his lap, "I want you to come lay yourself over my lap."

Harry hesitated for a second before standing and awkwardly moving toward his guardian's lap. _If Severus can handle spankings so can I. I can do this! This isn't like my aunt and uncle - this isn't going to leave lasting marks._

Albus noticed Harry's nervousness and so he gently took hold of him and pulled him until he was standing between his knees. He gently took his chin and made him look at him, "What is the difference between abuse and discipline?"

Harry felt ashamed, he misbehaved and now he has to face the music. "Abuse is when the disciplinarian is angry when he or she duels out the punishment," here he eyed Albus closely. When he came to the conclusion that his guardian wasn't angry, he continued, "Abuse also leaves marks and bruises."

Albus gave him a proud smile, "Good job, Harry." He eyed him up and down before asking, "Are you reading for your first spanking?"

Harry blushed deeply and dropped his eyes, "No."

Albus chuckled, "I guess no child is ever ready for a spanking, huh?" At Harry's smile and head shake, Albus gave the child's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Now, I want you to lay yourself over my lap. I will wait until you are comfortable and ready before starting."

"Do I get to keep my trousers on?" Harry asked in a timid, shy voice.

Albus gave a small nod, "I will not spank you on the bare for your first spanking, Harry." He gave him a firm look, "I instructed you to lay yourself over my lap. If I have to lay you over myself then you will be in more trouble. Do you understand?"

With a shaky sigh, Harry awkwardly laid himself over his guardian's lap. He wiggled as he tried to find a comfortable spot. Reaching down he clenched his fists in the pant leg and closed his eyes.

Once Albus felt as if Harry was ready, he raised his hand and landed the first smack against the child's backside.

Harry gasped as he felt the first sting appear over his bottom. He bit his lip and clenched his eyes harder.

Albus felt the six-year old stiffen on his lap and he gently began tapping the boy's bottom, "Take a deep breath, Harry. Relax - if you stiffen then it will sting more."

Harry gave a jerky nod of his head and tried to do as he was told. This whole thing was new to him. He has never been placed over a bony knee with his backside in the air. He has never willingly accepted a punishment. He has never actually received a spanking before in his whole life.

Once he felt his muscles relax, Albus landed the second smack against the trouser cladded bottom. He felt Harry jerk underneath his hand as he quickly brought it down for the third time. "Half way done, Harry." On the fourth smack he noticed Harry's shoulders start to shake but he heard no noise coming from the child. Albus paused, "You are allowed to cry, Harry. Actually, I expect you to cry."

Harry sniffled harder, "I wasn't allowed to cry at my relative's," he whispered.

"You are allowed to cry here," Albus replied quietly. He waited patiently until Harry let his walls down. Once he heard the child's soft tears, he hurried to duel out the last two smacks. As soon as the sixth swat was landed, he pulled Harry up and held him in a hug. He rubbed Harry's back and waited patiently for Harry's tears to turn into hiccups. Once this happened he asked, "Will you ever enter that forest again, Harry?"

Sniffling, Harry shook his head. "No, sir." _The spanking really wasn't that painful. What hurts the most is knowing that I upset my guardians enough that they had to punish me._

Albus gave a firm nod and hugged him tighter, "Good boy." Patting his back, Albus helped him stand, "Minerva wants you to go to her now."

Wiping away his tears, Harry gave a quick nod of his head and then made his way to Minerva. His bottom felt as if it were sunburned but he wasn't going to complain because he scared people that care about him.

He found his other guardian in the kitchen grading essays. He played with the hem of his shirt until she looked up at him.

Locking eyes with her, Harry felt his guilt come back. Hot tears pooled in his eyes and he bit his lip as he felt his cheeks turn hot.

Standing, Minerva quickly pulled him into a hug. "Sh, darling. It is all over. I did not ask you to come to me afterward so I could reprimand you or punish you again. I wanted you to come to me so I could give you a hug and make sure your holding up alright."

Harry let out a small sob into her arm, "I'm so sorry!"

Minerva felt her heart break and she tightened her hug around the little boy, "You are always forgiven. Sh, sweetie, take a deep breath. It is all over."

Harry sniffled and furiously tried to wipe away his tears. "I feel so bad though. I-I scared you two!"

Minerva smiled softly, "This will not be the last time you scare us. We are your guardians, it's your job to turn our hair greyer and whiter (in Albus' case) than they already are."

Harry couldn't help but laugh softly at that. "I still feel bad though," He admitted quietly.

She nodded, "All you can do is learn from your mistakes and try to not make them again." Seeing his sad face, she added, "No matter how many mistakes you make we will be here to help you correct them."

Harry smiled softly. _It's nice to have such caring guardians._

She watched as he stifled a yawn, "Perhaps you should retire to bed early tonight?"

Harry frowned, "Am I in more trouble?"

She quickly shook her head. "No, dear." She gently led him to his and Severus' bedroom. Helping him under the covers, she waited until he rolled on his stomach before tucking him in. "Tomorrow you will wake up and your bottom won't even be warm anymore, I promise." Leaning down she placed a small kiss to his forehead, "Goodnight dear and have sweet dreams."

Harry gave a small nod and closed his eyes. He hadn't realized how tired he really was until he felt himself drifting into sleep.

Albus placed a charm on Harry's bed to alert him if Harry awoke. Then he took Minerva's hand and walked with her to her office.

She sighed as she entered her office, "I have detention with Bill Weasley in fifteen minutes."

Albus frowned, "Bill? Are you sure it's not Charlie? Bill is hardly ever the troublemaker."

Minerva gave a shake of her head and sat down at her desk. "No, it's Bill. He must have been having a rough day because he came into my classroom today full of attitude. When I asked where his homework was he said it was up my arse."

Albus couldn't stop the small chuckle from escaping his lips. "I'm sorry, dear. That doesn't sound like Bill at all! If anything that sounds like Charlie!"

Minerva let out a deep sigh, "Like I said, something is up with the boy. I will talk to him about it during his detention and if he refuses to speak to me about it then I will contact Molly and have her come."

Before Albus could respond, a quiet knock echoed through the office.

Minerva sighed as she glanced at the clock, time sure does fly.

Leaning down, Albus placed a gentle kiss to her cheek and then left the office. He held the door open for the young Weasley and then went to his office.

Albus didn't have to wait long before Zachary and Severus entered his office. Upon their entrance Albus immediately noticed something was off.

Frowning, Albus sat up straighter in his high-backed chair, "What is wrong?" He leveled Severus with a concerned look, "Did he behave for you?" At Severus' guilty look Albus' frown deepened.

Zachary felt his nerves grow as he thought about how Albus was going to murder him. Taking a deep breath, Zachary started to explain today's events, "Severus added an unknown ingredient in my example potion today. I panicked and put up a barrier around the cauldron so it would not explode on him. I am sorry to say but my panic did not stop there. I reacted the way I would have reacted if my five-year old niece, Luna, would have done that. I turned him to the side and landed three smacks to his bottom. I am so sorry if I crossed a line and it will not happen again, Headmaster."

Severus could tell by his father's face that he was exhausted. _Why though? Both Harry and I weren't with him!_ He could also tell just by looking at his father's face that he was not pleased with Severus' actions. He couldn't help but feel terrible for ruining Professor Reyn's potion. His guilt felt so bad that he didn't even have the room to feel embarrassed that he had been smacked in front of the fourth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws!

Sev kept his eyes lowered to the ground as he waited for his father to speak.

With a tired sigh, Albus waved his employee's concerns off. "As he was in your care you had the right to discipline him. Do not fret, Zachary, I am not mad at you." Here he leveled Severus with a disappointed look. "If you choose that you do not want him again, I will completely understand."

Zachary let out a relieved sigh. He had thought for sure that he was going to be fired or hexed (or both!) for spanking the Headmaster's son. "No, no! Severus is fine. This incident did not scare me away from having him again." He gave Sev a serious look, "I am sure he has learned his lesson, correct Sev?"

Blushing a bright scarlet, Severus dropped his eyes to his feet and gave a solemn nod of his head. "Yes, sir. I will never add anything to a potion without your permission again!"

Zachary gave a firm nod, "Good man." He looked back at his employer and wondered why the man was so tired.

Albus turned his complete attention to Se, "Binky is going to lead you home. I want you to tell your mother of your actions and then prepare for bed. Mind you, be quiet, Harry has had quite the long day and is already fast asleep. Please do not wake your brother." After he said that and he had gotten a mumbled promise of not waking Harry, Albus called for the Hogwarts house elf, Binky, and watched as they left the office. When the door closed behind them, Albus stifled a yawn.

Curious, Zachary took a seat in front of the mahogany desk. "May I ask what is wrong? I assumed today would be like a vacation for you - a relaxing day."

Albus rubbed his forehead. "Harry had gotten himself into quite the bit of trouble. I had to give him his first spanking."

Realizing why this was so troublesome to Albus, Zachary gave an understanding nod of his head. "I take it the punishment didn't go well?"

Albus sighed deeply, "It went fine. I just wish I had not had to do it."

"Well, what did he do?" Zachary asked.

Albus retold Zachary the adventure for the day. "I was so frightened. We could not find him anywhere! We finally found him and Fang near Aragog's domain. They were running away from the young spiders. My heart had felt as if it had stopped when I saw this."

"Oh no," Zachary breathed. "Well, I would say that he deserved his first spanking then. After all, he did put his life in danger."

Albus nodded, "Did not make it any easier to punish him though."

Zachary nodded in agreement. "It is never easy but it is something that must be done." He thought of all the times he has had to watch Luna for not only a day but at weeks on end - her father is crazy and Zachary's sister, Pandora, got hurt a lot from experimenting with new spells.

Zachary stood and placed a comforting hand on Albus' shoulder. "You did good." Then he left the office.

When Albus returned home for the night he was greeted with a hug from Minerva and a cup of hot cocoa. They sat on the couch and took comfort in each others company.

"Sev told me what happened today," Minerva finally said after a long stretch of comfortable silence.

Albus gave a small nod of his head. He kept his eyes closed, too tired to bother opening them.

Minerva continued, "I gave him a lecture about the danger of potions. I was going to send him to bed with three more smacks but he was devastated from the lecture and was crying. He is terrified that Zachary will not let him play with the potions anymore. I explained to him that they are not playing."

Albus frowned and opened his eyes. "Zachary told him that he would have him again."

"I think he is just feeling ashamed for being disobedient to a man that he is looking up to. Sev really loves brewing with him," Minerva explained softly.

Albus smiled. "Well, I will have Zachary speak with him tomorrow. Both of our boys were in danger today, Min. Perhaps they should just stay with us instead of going off with others?"

Minerva laughed softly and leaned into his embrace. "You cannot hide them from the world just because it is sometimes dangerous, Albus. They are going to get into danger sometimes. They are going to get booboos. They are going to make mistakes. Our job is to make sure they learn from their mistakes and to kiss their booboos."

Albus let out a sigh as he ran his fingers through her long hair. "I guess you are right, love."

She gave him a playful wink. "I am always right." Standing, she took hold of his hands and led him to their master bedroom. "Let's get you cleaned up and then it is off to bed for you - you look like death!"

Albus chuckled and allowed himself to be pulled along.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and answer this question: After the trial of Harry's relatives I have been thinking about doing a time-jump to where Harry and Sev are 11. I want your opinion on this. Would you like to continue reading Harry and Sev as they are now and watch them grow or would you like me to jump to where they can enter school?**

 **Savoren.**


	8. Welcome to the Family

**Chapter 8:**

 **Welcome to the Family  
**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. I am very conflicted with whether I should do the time-jump or if I should continue writing them as youngins - half of you want them to stay young and the other half want them to become eleven. Saying that, I have a couple suggestions and I need your opinion on them.**

 **1.) Keep the boys as young in this story and create a second story where they are eleven.**

 **2.) Keep the boys young for a couple chapters and then time-jump to them being eleven and then have flashbacks.**

 **Which would you prefer?**

 **Thanks for your time,**

 **Savoren.**

Severus grumbled something inaudible under his breath as he was led to the kitchen table. It's barely six in the morning!

Albus gently rubbed his son's back and pulled out the dining chair for him to sit down. "I know this is earlier than you are used to, Sev-"

Severus cut him off as he rubbed his eyes tiredly, "Why doesn't Harry have to wake up? What did I do wrong?" He stifled a yawn with his hand and dropped his eyes to his lap.

Minerva offered him a gentle smile as she reached over and patted his hand with hers, "You did nothing wrong, sweetie. Your father and I wanted to speak to you about something very important without Harry in the room or in hearing distance."

Curious, Severus sat up straighter in his chair. "What did he do wrong?"

Albus chuckled softly as he sat down in his own chair. He and Minerva exchanged amused looks as he told his eldest son, "Harry did nothing wrong."

Severus forced the disappointed look to not appear on his face. "Then what is so important that you needed to wake me up a half an hour before I'm supposed to be awake?"

Minerva rose an eyebrow at his tone but chose not to comment on it. After all, she would not be pleased herself if someone woke her up before her scheduled wake time. She took a steadying breath and glanced at her husband. Once he nodded to her, she mentally braced herself for Severus' outrage, "Your father and I have been discussing the idea of adopting Harry. We want your opinion on this."

Severus frowned, deep down he didn't realize his parents' guardianship over Harry was going to become a permanent thing. He probably should have but he couldn't help that small bit of hope that he would not have to share his parents forever.

At his silence, Minerva felt her nerves grow. She looked to Albus and bit her lip.

Just when they thought Severus was going to refuse to speak, he let out a deep sigh. "It would be selfish of me if I said no."

Albus offered him an encouraging smile, "Sev, we just need your opinion."

Severus sighed again and then bit his lip. _Sharing mum and dad isn't too horrible. I have already been seeing Harry as my little brother. . . Do I want to make this permanent?_ He looked at his parents and noticed the hope that twinkled in his father's eyes. _He wants another son. Who am I to tell him no?_ With his eyes glued to his hands he removed his teeth from his lip and took in a small breath. When he lifted his eyes to his parents he gave a nod of his head.

The consequence of his action was immediate. Albus and Minerva's eyes lit up with excitement and happiness. Severus felt his heart swell as he watched these emotions flutter across his parents' faces. "I would be honored to have Harry as my official, adopted brother. He basically already is, after all."

Minerva let out a shaky, relieved laugh. "Yes, yes he is, Sev." She hadn't realized how nervous she was that Severus would hate the idea but now that Sev has agreed, she is ecstatic.

Severus gave a small nod of his head. "So, when are you going to tell Harry?"

"We are going to _ask_ him today at breakfast," Albus told him softly.

Severus frowned, "Ask?"

Minerva smiled, "Of course. This is his choice. If Harry does not want us to adopt him then we won't."

Yawning, Severus gave a small nod to show he understood.

"Sev, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday as well. I am sorry that we did not get to speak about your mishap as long as we should have," Albus said softly.

Severus held in his groan, he had hoped that they were done discussing his mistake.

Albus could tell that Severus didn't want to talk about it again but he also knew that if he didn't have this conversation with his son then the problem may occur again someday. "What you did yesterday was very dangerous, Severus. You need to make better choices and take care to not put your life in danger." _You have already had one potion accident, I don't want to see you have another._

Severus sighed and kept his eyes lowered to his lap, "I know, dad. I don't know what I was thinking when I added the feather. I just. . . I wanted to brew too and I thought I was helping. I wasn't helping though, I just blew it up and messed it all up."

"Sev, how do you think your father and I would feel if something bad had happened to you?" Minerva questioned.

Severus felt his heart clench, "I know and I'm really sorry. I should have known better. . ."

"You are six-years old, Sev. You are bound to make mistakes but you need to be careful not to put your life in danger, okay? We couldn't bare it if you got hurt," Minerva gently told him.

Severus nodded his head, "Yes, mum."

Albus stood and gently pulled his son into a tight hug, "I should have done this last night and I'm sorry that I didn't."

Severus sniffled and hid his face against his father's chest, "I know you had a lot on your mind yesterday."

Albus sighed and gently pulled back so he was looking Severus in the eyes, "That is not an excuse for me to not do this. I'm sorry you had a rough day yesterday, son. Your mother told me that you are still worried that Professor Reyn won't want to brew with you again." Seeing Severus' watery eyes, he gently rubbed his son's back in a soothing circles, "I have contacted him and asked him to come speak to you about your worries. He has already told you that he will brew with you again but I take it you need more reassurance?" At Severus' nod and sniffles, Albus pulled his son tight against him again, "I know everything has been pretty crazy around here and I am proud of you for going with the flow. Randomly getting a new brother is stressful but you have been handling it well. I know there are times that you are struggling with jealousy but I applaud you for your attempts at not letting that jealousy overcome you. With that said, I have never been so proud of you as I am now. It takes maturity and an astonishing amount of love and understanding to decide to share your parents with a boy that you have only known for a short amount of time."

Minerva had tears in her eyes as she watched on, Sev really needed this.

Knowing Severus wasn't going to respond, Albus patted his back and stepped back. "Why don't you go shower and get ready for the day while your mother and I make breakfast? Once you are out of the shower we will wake Harry for the day," Albus said as he returned to his chair.

Severus nodded and without another word, left the kitchen to do as his father said, still overcome with his emotions to say anything.

* * *

When Harry finally opened his eyes in the morning it was a shock to see Severus' onyx eyes staring straight into his. He jumped slightly and hurried to sit up. He kept Max tightly against his chest so his bear wouldn't fall off the bed as Severus jumped up and down.

Severus bounced off the bed, all too happy to be able to wake his younger brother. Mum and dad said to wake him, they never said how and so he had decided to jump up and down on Harry's bed until the boy finally woke up. "It's about time you are awake!" Severus exclaimed, though his tone sounded annoyed his eyes glistened with amusement. "Mum and dad have breakfast already on the table. Come on, come on! I've been awake for _hours_ and I'm starved!" Okay, so it wasn't _hours_ but his tummy sure does feel like it's been forever since he had eaten!

Getting off his bed, Harry rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his Max-free hand and stumbled behind Severus to the kitchen. As they neared the kitchen the smell of chocolate chip pancakes, strawberries and ham hit his senses. He smiled brightly and quickly took his seat across from Severus at the table. He gently placed Max on his lap and rubbed the bear's stomach.

Minerva smiled at her boys and poured them both a glass of milk. "How did you sleep, Harry?"

Smiling, Harry took the glass from her. He took a small sip of the milk before answering her question, "I had a weird dream."

Albus sat down at the table with four plates. He slowly began filling the boys' plates as he asked Harry, "What was it about?" He gently placed the plates in front of his sons and then began filling Minerva's plate as he waited for Harry's response.

Harry pushed a cut strawberry around on his plate as he thought about his dream. The only big thing he completely remembers about his dream is a green light. The green light made his heart ache and caused fear to ripple through his body. He couldn't figure out why he felt this way though, it is only a green light, after all.

"You do not have to tell us if you don't want to, dear," Minerva softly reminded him.

Harry sighed softly and looked across the table to Severus. Severus is currently creating some odd architecture with his strawberries and ham. When he finally looked back at his guardians he made up his mind to tell them about his dream. "All I really remember is a flash of green light."

Minerva and Albus exchanged quick looks.

At their action, Harry nibbled on his lip. Surely a green light wouldn't cause his guardians to become worried? "What is it? Why are you looking like that? What's the green light?" Harry couldn't stop all his questions from tumbling out of his mouth.

Albus quickly jumped in before the young boy worried himself into a fit. He kept his tone gentle and masked his concerns by keeping his face light, "Are you sure you do not remember anything else?" At Harry's small shake of his head, Albus smiled softly - _thank Merlin._ "Let's eat, then." He glanced over at his other son and shook his head in amusement, "Sev, what have we told you about playing with your food?"

Guilty, Severus quickly looked up from his masterpiece. "I am enhancing my art skills."

Minerva smirked softly and hid her amusement by eating a strawberry.

Harry let out a frustrated huff, _Who cares about art when he's not telling me about the green light?_

Surprised by Harry's outburst, Albus moved his attention from Severus' "masterpiece" to look at his youngest son, "What's wrong, Harry?"

Harry dropped his fork and just barely kept himself from crossing his arms over his chest. "You know something and you're not telling me."

Albus glanced to Minerva and then back to the young boy. He wasn't sure if he should reprimand the child for his tone or feel guilty for keeping information from him. _Harry is only six-years old, he doesn't need to know about the killing curse._ Albus struggled with saving Harry's child-like innocence or telling him the truth. He looked to Minerva for help.

Putting her fork down, Minerva could tell by just one look at her husband that he didn't know what to do. "Sometimes adults keep things from children for their own good."

Harry frowned at that, _So they do know and they are just choosing to not tell me!_ "That's not fair," Harry snapped irritably.

Severus snapped his attention to his daring little brother - his masterpiece forgotten about.

Minerva couldn't help but feel surprised by Harry's words. The longer Harry is staying with them, the more comfortable he is becoming with speaking his mind and acting his age. "Please mind your tone when speaking to me, Harry James."

Though the reprimand wasn't harsh or strong, it still made Harry drop his eyes to his lap and bite his lip. When he finally raised his emerald eyes again, he made his tone was even before speaking again, "Sometimes children need adults to tell them things so they feel better."

Albus sighed, knowing Harry's response would strike irritation in his wife - she hates when people take her words and throw them back at her. "Harry-"

Minerva cut her husband off before he could start. She is definitely irritated by Harry's daring response but she also does not want to ruin the morning by taking his bait. Today is supposed to be a good day and she won't let it be ruined. She took a calming breath before speaking, "Tell me how you are feeling, Harry."

Surprised that she wasn't yelling at the boy, Albus relaxed a little and picked up his glass of milk. He motioned for Severus to keep eating and stop watching their every move.

Harry furrowed his brow as he tried to explain his feelings. "Why won't you tell me what the green light was?"

Severus ignored his father's silent directions and told his brother, "Adults don't have to answer to children. Children have to answer to adults."

Harry threw him a nasty glare and just barely kept himself from telling Severus to shut up.

Minerva stepped in before an argument could ensue. "Harry, sometimes a dream does not mean anything at all. There is a possibility that the green light could be something but there is no way that we can be positive if that is what it is. If the green light is what came across my mind when you first mentioned it then, no, I will not tell you what it is. You are a child and I am protecting your innocence by staying silent. Someday, when you are older, if the issue arises again, then I will tell you. Until then, be content with me telling you that a dream is a dream and cannot hurt you."

Harry sighed. _It's a strange feeling to have guardians protect me not only from physical dangers but from mental dangers as well. She wants to protect my innocence - that's a trait of my daydream family._ He lowered his eyes in shame, feeling guilty for making such a big deal out of a stupid green flash. His guardian is only doing what she thinks is right and he should be grateful for her attempts - especially since Aunt Petunia would never have done such a thing.

Minerva could read Harry's face like an open book. She offered him a gentle smile as if to encourage him and remind him that everything is alright. "I understand that you want answers, dear, but not all answers are good ones and will only lead to more questions."

Harry gave a nod of his head, "Yes, ma'am." He bit his lip and looked at her, _I should apologize - I probably really upset her._

Reaching over, Minerva gently patted his small hand and gestured to his untouched plate. "Please eat your food before it gets cold, dear."

Harry slowly picked up his fork but before he actually went about eating, he looked over at her again and finally got the courage to say, "I'm sorry. It was very disrespectful of me to twist your words and use them against you. I know you are only trying to protect me and I should be thankful of that. My relatives would never protect me like that and I really, really appreciate it - I'm just not used to it."

Minerva forced herself to not tear up. She glanced over at Albus and noticed he had the same expression as herself. She sat up straighter and cleared her suddenly thickened throat, "You have our word that we will _always_ protect you in every single way that we can. Sometimes you will not appreciate it but we will do it anyway. When you get older your appreciation for it will lessen but that doesn't mean we will stop - that's when we will push harder."

Harry knew what she meant by that and couldn't help the smile that grew on his face. "It's really nice to have guardians like the two of you. I'm not used to a lot of things but I'm starting to get used to it."

Severus couldn't help but feel a little disgusted with all this lovey dovey gooey crap of promises - Harry will start to hate their protectiveness soon, just like he does. It's annoying. He kept his comments to himself and continued to eat his breakfast, knowing full well that if he spoke his mind, there would be trouble to pay.

Albus sat up straighter in his chair and lightly put his eating utensils down. "We actually wanted to discuss something very important with you, Harry."

Curious, Harry, once again, forgot about his breakfast. He nervously rubbed Max's ear between his forefinger and thumb. "Okay. What is it?"

Minerva glanced at Albus before looking back at Harry. She offered him a smile and said, "We wanted to know if you would like our guardianship of you to become permanent - if you would like to become our official son."

Harry gave an uneasy smile and looked at everyone sitting at the table. "I thought the guardianship was already permanent?" _Does that mean I could be sent back to my relatives any minute?!_

She immediately noticed his panicked look and quickly explained the situation. "Currently Albus and I are your guardians. What we want to know is if you would like us to adopt you."

 _Adopt._ The simple, small word caused butterflies and bubbles to fly around in his tummy. _Isn't this what I always dreamed of? To become adopted by my daydream family would be a dream come true. . . Are they my daydream family? Are they who I have been looking for all this time?_ He looked from Minerva to Albus and back again.

 _My daydream family is loving, caring and understanding. They are also helpful, protective and fun to be around. They care about my health, education and dreams. They love me unconditionally._

He subconsciously hugged Max tight as he looked from Minerva and Albus. He looked down at Max and smiled softly, _Is this our daydream family, Max?_

When he looked up again, he locked eyes with Minerva and asked, "Will you adopt Max too?"

She let out a nervous laugh and nodded her head, "Of course. The two of you are a package deal!"

"Are you sure you want to adopt us?" Harry's voice was shy, unsure about himself.

Severus dropped his fork and left it clatter on his plate. "Harry, we want you to be a part of our family - for real. Will you stop being so unsure about everything and just say yes? The faster you say yes the faster we can finish breakfast," He gave Harry a smile to show he wasn't angry. "Will you be my official brother?"

Harry smiled and forced himself not to laugh as he realized that all their food was cold. He nodded and squeezed Max tight. He looked to Albus, Minerva and then Severus, "I would love to be your official brother, Sev."

Severus raised his hands in the air in victory, "Great! Now, can we finish breakfast?"

Albus chuckled and waved his wand over the table, warming their food again, "Your acceptance to our offer warms my heart, Harry. Thank you for saying yes."

Harry gave a small nod and dropped his eyes to his now warm food.

Minerva picked up her fork and cut a small piece of ham, "Your father and I will go to the Ministry to sign the paperwork after we finish eating. We already spoke to Aunt Poppy and she said that she will watch the two of you today if you said yes. I want the two of you to be on your best behavior for her-"

Severus cut her off and said as he rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Please, mum, can we just eat?"

Minerva rose an eyebrow at him, "Young man you will _not_ speak to me like that." She looked to Albus as if looking for backup. "When I am instructing you on your behavior you will not shove it off and say 'yeah, yeah, yeah.' You accept my instructions and promise to stay on your best behavior. That is, unless you would like you spend your time at Aunt Poppy's with a sore bottom?"

Severus blushed and dropped his eyes, "I'm sorry for my tone."

Minerva leveled both of her boys with a stern look, "If I have to reprimand either one of you on your tone again today there will be serious consequences. Am I understood?"

Harry kept his eyes locked on his breakfast as he nodded his head, "Yes, ma'am."

Minerva sighed, _I hope he stops calling me ma'am soon and starts calling me mum._

Severus nodded and kept his eyes lowered, "I understand, mum."

Albus tapped the table, "Alright, boys mind your manners and return to breakfast." He gave Minerva a gentle look and motioned for her to take a calming breath and then eat her breakfast.

The rest of breakfast went much smoother than the beginning and soon Minerva and Albus were dropping the boys off with their Aunt Poppy.

"Remember, be on your best behaviors," Albus reminded the two six-year olds. He then looked to Poppy and said, "They have been struggling with their tones this morning."

Poppy rose her eyebrows at the two boys, "They have, have they?"

Minerva nodded and gently squeezed Severus' shoulder, "Yes, they have."

Harry blushed brightly and kept his eyes on his trainers. He squeezed Max tight against his chest.

"Well, I am sure there won't be a problem. Will there, boys?" Poppy questioned.

Both quickly nodded in agreement.

"Zachary will be coming to speak with Sev. I'm not sure when he is coming I just know that he and Sev need to finish their conversation," Albus said softly. He eyed the boys nervously.

Poppy nodded, "Stop worrying so much. I will have everything in control."

"I know, Poppy," Albus let out a soft sigh and pulled the two boys into a hug. "Behave and we will see you in an hour or so."

Once Albus let them go it was Minerva's turn to hug the boys goodbye. Poppy then allowed them to use her fireplace to floo to the Ministry of Magic.

"So, what do you boys want to do while your parents are away?" Poppy asked.

After a few minutes they decided on a game of Exploding Snap. They played this until a fifth year Gryffindor came in with a severe cough.

Poppy sighed softly and led the girl to a cot, "The weather is getting colder and colder. We had the first frost this morning, did you see it?"

The girl shook her head as another bout of hard coughing took over her.

Poppy pushed her down against the pillows, "Yes, well, it was quite beautiful. When did the coughing start?"

Bored of listening in on their conversation, Harry turned his attention to Severus and watched as he shuffled the deck of cards. "Can you teach me how to do that?"

Severus nodded and just as he was about to teach his little brother they were interrupted by someone whistling at the doorway of the infirmary.

Poppy was too distracted with the Gryffindor's paperwork to notice her nephews stand from their seats and leave the infirmary.

"Madam Pomfrey your-" The fifth year started but immediately clamped her mouth shut when Poppy gave her a firm look.

Out in the hallway Harry and Severus looked up at Peeves with curiosity.

"Harry! Will you play with me? I haven't played a prank on Quirrell lately, will you help me?" Peeves asked as he floated down to Harry's height.

Severus pulled on his brother's arm, trying to make him go back inside the Infirmary, "You got us in trouble, Peeves!"

Peeves pressed his hand against his heart and gave them a shocked, innocent look. "Peeves did? I disagree with that statement, Snape."

Harry jumped in before Severus could start screaming at the poltergeist. "No, it's true, Peeves. I'm not allowed to play with you anymore. All the adults said that you are a bad influence and a liar and you only cause trouble."

Peeves had the good graces to look ashamed and hurt by Harry's words. "Peeves, a bad influence?"

Harry sighed, knowing he hurt the poltergeist's feelings. "That's just what my soon-to-be parents said."

"It's true! He's the reason you got your first spanking! I had to sit uncomfortably because of him!" Severus yelled. He glared daggers at the poltergeist. "Harry, come back inside with me before I tell Aunt Poppy about this!"

Harry felt pulled in two directions: he definitely didn't want to get in trouble with Aunt Poppy but he also didn't want Peeves to be upset. "I'm sorry Peeves but I'm not allowed to be your friend. . ."

"Peeves got you in trouble?" He let out a devastated sigh, "Peeves understands. No one ever wants to be Peeves' friend. . ."

Harry felt his heart ache. He looked from his big brother to Peeves and back again, "Please don't tell Aunt Poppy."

Severus rose his eyebrows, mimicking how his parents do it. "Harry James," He said threateningly, knowing exactly what Harry was about to do.

Harry gave him a glare, "You're not allowed to use my middle name."

Severus crossed his hands over his chest, "I'm older than you. I'm allowed to and I will whenever you're about to do something bad and stupid."

Harry's glare darkened, "I'm not stupid and you're not even a year older than me!"

Peeves swooped down and glared Severus in the face, "Don't call my friend stupid, Snivelling Snape!"

Hurt by the name Peeves called him, Severus stomped back inside yelling for his aunt.

Harry groaned, "You need to go now."

Peeves floated in front of Harry, "I am sorry for getting you in trouble before. Peeves never meant for that to happen. Peeves just wants a friend."

Harry stared in his eyes. He noticed the sincerity in the poltergeist's eyes and let out another deep sigh, "I forgive you, Peeves."

"Will you still be my friend?" Peeves questioned quietly, unsure about himself.

Harry nodded and heard the door open behind him, "Yes." He knew his aunt was behind him even before he turned around. When he finally did turn around it was to come face-to-face with his aunt's stern face. He dropped his eyes to his trainers and waited for the reprimand.

She glared at the poltergeist and threw her arms out at him in a shooing motion, "Leave at once!" When Peeves finally disappeared she turned her stern look on her nephew, "You should have told me before leaving the infirmary, Harry James."

Harry looked through the doors to see Severus standing in a corner and the sick Gryffindor sitting on the cot. He locked eyes with her and immediately blushed and dropped his eyes. "I'm sorry, Aunt Poppy. I know I should have told you."

"Then why didn't you?" Poppy pressed.

"You would have told me no," Harry whispered. "And Peeves was upset."

Poppy sighed and kneeled down to look him in the eye, "Your heart is much too loving and trusting, dear. Most of the time that is not a bad thing but when it comes to the poltergeist, it is bad. You cannot trust him, Harry. He is a troublemaker."

Harry frowned, "Everyone deserves a second chance, Aunt Poppy."

Poppy gently took hold of his chin, "I will not tell you again, Harry James. If I see you speaking to Peeves again you will be in trouble. Am I understood?"

Harry crossed his hands over his chest and puffed out his bottom lip in a pout.

Poppy rose an eyebrow at this and repeated herself in a firm, no nonsense tone, "Am I understood, Harry James?"

Harry's eyes flashed angrily and he shook his head, "No. If I want to be his friend I will be! Everyone deserves a friend!"

In a flash, Poppy reached behind him and landed a single, hard swat against his trouser clad bottom. "Care to repeat yourself, young man?"

Harry immediately covered his bottom with both hands and stared at her, "Everyone deserves a friend, Aunt Poppy." _Why doesn't she understand that? I went years without a friend and it was horrible!_

"Yes, Harry, everyone deserves a friend. However, Peeves is not the appropriate friend for you. Your mother and father agree with me - you are not allowed to play with him, Harry James."

Harry gave her a daring glare, not sure when he started being so daring. Apparently being a member of a stable family has done great things for his self-esteem. _I will play with whoever I want to play with._ He debated saying this out loud but wasn't quite sure how well that would play out for him. Instead, he stuck with something he has already had the guts to say to her, "If I want to be his friend, I will be." After he said this he bit his lip and stared at her, waiting for her reaction. He wisely kept both hands covering his bottom. _Why am I playing with fire?_

Poppy leveled him with an unamused look. She reached behind him and easily pulled his hands away from his backside. With his small hands in her grip, she landed three hard swats against his backside.

Harry tried to pull his hands out of her grip so he could cover his bottom again but found that she had his hands in a tight grip. He sniffled as she landed one final smack to his bottom. _I should have seen that coming. Why am I testing everyone today?_

With his hands still in her grip, Poppy escorted him back into the infirmary and walked him to the corner opposite of Severus. "Put your nose against the wall, Harry James. Do not move or speak until I tell you otherwise." With that, she turned back around and locked eyes with the fifth year. She leveled the girl with a daring look, waiting for her to say something.

The Gryffindor dropped her eyes as another fit of coughs took over her body.

Walking over, Poppy picked the fallen Max up off the floor and put him on an empty cot. She let out a soft, tired sigh and returned to helping the Gryffindor.

* * *

"How were they? Did they behave for you?" Minerva asked as she glanced through the window in Poppy's office to stare at the sleeping boys on the cots. "I'm sorry it took so long. We had not expected the office to be so full and busy today."

Poppy waved her apology away and looked out at the boys and the sleeping fifth year. "We had a problem but it was successfully dealt with."

"And that problem was?" Albus questioned.

Poppy sighed softly, "Peeves convinced the boys to leave the infirmary while I was dealing with Miss Hopkins. Severus got in trouble for leaving without telling me; he was given six minutes in time-out. Harry got in trouble for leaving without telling me and then proceeding to talk back to me. I smacked his bottom and put him in time-out."

Albus frowned, "You smacked his backside?"

Poppy frowned as well, unsure of what the problem was. "Well, yes I did. Why?"

"Did he handle that well?" Albus questioned. "He just got his first spanking yesterday. . ."

Understanding dawned over her, "Yes, he was perfectly fine. The two of you have really done great things with him. Not only did he handle that well but I was very surprised with his daring move to talk back to me. He never would have done that before."

Minerva nodded, "I have noticed the change in him as well. I feel as if he is testing the waters to see how much he can get away with."

Albus agreed, "Perhaps this is all caused from his first spanking yesterday. Now that he got that out of the way he is being more daring and seeing what he can get away with. I am seeing his father in him more and more today," Here he chuckled and shook his head, "We are going to have our hands full with him if this continues."

Poppy agreed, "I believe you already have your hands full. How did the adoption go? Did it go smoothly?"

Minerva nodded her head, "It went really well. After we waited for over two hours we waited another hour in the office. The paperwork and signatures took a little over an hour. It was a long wait but it was worth it," She smiled as she looked at Harry and watched him cuddle Max tight against him.

Poppy nodded toward the sleeping boys, "Go tell them the good news." Just as she watched the two adults start to leave her office, she said, "And congratulations on your new family member."

Minerva and Albus nodded to her and then went to wake Harry and Severus.

Harry awoke to Minerva's soothing voice. When he opened his eyes and saw her, he smiled and sat up, pulling Max on to his lap. "Did you remember to adopt Max too?"

Laughing softly, Minerva nodded her head, "How could we forget about Max, Harry?"

Harry pulled Max tight against him and smiled shyly at the people surrounding him that is now his family.

"Welcome to the family, son," Albus told him as he pulled Severus on to his lap and held him close.

 _Son._ Harry closed his eyes and took in an uneasy breath. The word son feels even better than the word adopt. _I never thought this feeling was real._ He opened his eyes and looked at his small family. With a watery smile and a choked voice Harry found his voice and looked at Max, "We found our daydream family, Max."

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and please leave a review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**

 **1.) Keep the boys as young in this story and create a second story where they are eleven.**

 **2.) Keep the boys young for a couple chapters and then time-jump to them being eleven and then have flashbacks.**

 **Which would you prefer?**

 **Thanks for your time,**

 **Savoren.**


	9. Feeling Invisible

**Chapter Nine:**

 **Feeling Invisible**

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I had a lot of thinking to do for this story.**

 **Savoren.**

Harry and Severus exchanged wide-eyed, nervous looks as they hunched behind the closed office door. Their mum has been in there yelling at the Head Lady for the past ten minutes. About what? The boys still weren't entirely positive.

"Did I do something wrong?" Harry whispered to his brother and cringed as he heard the Head Lady yell back at their mother.

Without thinking about it, Severus put a protective hand on Harry's shoulder and gave a silent shake of his head. He leaned closer and pressed his ear against the door.

Finally, he could hear exactly what they were arguing about.

"He is the Boy-Who-Lived, Minerva! Surely you realize that he should not be carrying around that stupid bear? The bear looks as if it were pulled out of the rubbish bin!" The Head Lady exclaimed.

Severus frowned in confusion and pressed his ear harder against the door (as if that would help him understand). _Boy-Who-Lived? Why did she call Harry that? Of course he lived, he is sitting right beside me!_

"He is a child for Merlin's sake! He is six-years old. Do you expect him to already be mature? He needs this bear and I find it ridiculous that you are making such a big deal out of it!"

Harry, only hearing the muffled yells, shook Severus' arm, "Sev, what are they saying?"

Severus pushed his arm off, ignoring his question as he continued to eavesdrop.

Harry sighed and sat back in defeat. Sometimes it really sucks to be so much smaller than Severus.

"Don't be so naive, Minerva! You are going to raise a sissy and then the whole wizarding world is going to be doomed!" The Head Lady bellowed.

Severus had heard enough. He jumped to his feet and barged into the office. He ignored the surprised look on his mother's face and leveled the Head Lady with a deadly look, "You are an old, heartless hag!"

Minerva's eyes went wide and she jumped to her feet, hurrying to Severus' side. "Severus Tobius!" She tried to usher him out of the office but stopped when she heard the Head Lady stand from her seat.

"It is obvious that you are not only going to raise a sissy but you are also going to raise a criminal. The Daily Prophet was right, you and Albus are much too old to be raising such young children." She cut Minerva off before she could defend herself, "I want you to take your disrespectful, delinquent brats and leave. They are not to come back - I will not waste my valuable time on children who only cause mischief and mayhem."

Minerva clenched her jaw and took hold of Severus' arm, "You do not understand children enough to be the Head Lady of a pre-school. Trust me, we _won't_ be back. You are not worthy of schooling my boys." With that said, Minerva kept her head held high and walked out of the office. As she passed the still crouching Harry, she reached down and grabbed his arm - helping him to his feet. Then they headed for the door. Minerva forced herself not to cry from frustration and anger. She kept her head held high to protect her pride and left the pre-school.

Molly, who had witnessed Minerva escort her boys out of the pre-school, hurried after her. She's known Minerva long enough to know when there is something seriously wrong. "Minerva, what happened?"

Minerva kept her boys close to her, trying to comfort herself from the exhausting argument she had just endured. "Harry and Severus are kicked out of the program."

Molly stared at her, shocked. "Are you serious? Why?"

Minerva looked down and watched as Harry held Max tight against him. Severus had his eyes locked to the ground - obviously worrying that he was in trouble.

"It's my fault," Severus whispered. "I called her a. . ." He knew better than to repeat what he said earlier, "I called her a nasty name."

Molly offered Severus a gentle smile, "The twins call her a nasty name almost every other Monday. Surely that is not it?"

Minerva sighed and ran her hands through Harry's hair, "Will you come over to the castle? I don't want to have this conversation in front of the boys."

Molly quickly nodded, completely understanding, "Of course! I am already going to the castle tonight. Apparently Bill has been struggling with his attitude - something is up; he is never like that."

Minerva, too, had noticed the change in Bill Weasley. "I hope it all gets figured out, Molly."

Molly gave her a soft smile, "Thank you. I will see you tonight around seven then?" At Minerva's nod, Molly gave the boys a quick hug and then disappeared back inside the pre-school to wait for her herd.

Minerva sighed softly and pulled her boys close, "Come, I need to have a word with your father." She held their hands and walked the path back to Hogwarts.

Severus bit his lip and stared at the castle as they grew closer and closer, "Mum?"

Minerva glanced down at him, "Yes, dear?"

Severus dropped his eyes to his feet and whispered, "Were we kicked out because of me? Am I really a criminal?"

Minerva came to an abrupt halt and knelt down to stare her son in his onyx eyes. She gently grabbed his chin and answered him in a gentle voice, "Sev, what that lady said is a lie. You are not a criminal! You are a little boy that makes mistakes and misbehaves sometimes - that doesn't make you a criminal, son. You should not have had to hear what she said. It was very wrong of her to say such things, especially with you in hearing distance." She then leveled both of her boys with a soft, yet still slightly stern, look, "You should not have eavesdropped though."

Both immediately dropped their eyes in shame.

Minerva continued and opened the castle doors for them, "When we get home I want you both to go to your bedroom."

Severus sighed, "Are we in trouble?"

Minerva ushered them down the long corridor, "I need to discuss today's events with your father and I do not want the two of you to hear. No, you are not in trouble for eavesdropping. However, I do want the two of you to realize how disrespectful your actions were. Do not let me catch you eavesdropping again. Am I understood?"

Both boys quickly nodded.

Minerva continued, "After I am done speaking with your father, we will discuss your name calling, Severus. While in your room I want you to think about what you did wrong, why it was wrong, and how you could have gotten your feelings across in a more respectable, appropriate way."

Severus let out a small sigh but nodded his head, "Yes, mum."

When they reached their quarters the boys immediately followed her directions and went to their bedroom, closing the door behind themselves.

Minerva let out a deep, sad sigh. She found Albus sitting at the dining room table, looking over some paperwork.

Albus looked up, surprised to see her home already: the pre-school doesn't leave out for another ten minutes. "What's wrong love?" Seeing her stance, he immediately stood and pulled her into a hug. He rubbed her back in a soothing pattern and placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, "What happened?"

Minerva let out another sigh as she felt Albus leave go, "The boys were kicked out of pre-school today."

Albus' eyes flashed angrily, "What could they have possibly done? Never have I ever heard of that happening before, Minerva. Surely they aren't that bad?"

Minerva quickly put an end to his questions, "When I got there today the Head Lady asked me to come to her office. The conversation started with her telling me that both Harry and Severus had gotten in trouble today. Harry was apparently distracted and talking to Max during the lesson today and Severus called the young Goyle a dimwitted troll." She continued before Albus could interrupt, she could tell their actions upset him. "I haven't spoken to them about those events yet. I figured I would talk to them later. Anyway, after she told me why they had gotten in trouble today, she started saying that Max is a distraction, eye-sore, and that Harry is too old to be carrying him around. Severus, then, had barged into the office and called her an old, heartless hag. She said that we, as their parents, are too old and are raising a criminal and sissy. She then told me that she wasn't going to waste her time on children who only cause mischief and mayhem. She told me that they were not to come back."

Albus' eyes flashed furiously, "A criminal and sissy?! How _dare_ she say such vile things about our sons!"

Taken back by his outrage, Minerva didn't know what to do. "What are we going to do, Albus? We don't have time to home-school them by ourselves."

Albus paced back and forth, infuriated. "I'll take care of it, Min." He suddenly stopped and placed another kiss to the top of her head, "Don't you worry your pretty little mind, love. I'll take care of everything." Then, before Minerva to say anything else, Albus left.

Minerva sighed deeply as she stared at the closed door. Deep down she hoped Albus wouldn't do something illegal to the Head Lady.

Before going to speak to her boys, Minerva made herself a calming cup of hot tea.

* * *

Harry looked over at his brother. He bit his lip as he thought about interrupting the silence. _Would he yell or throw a pillow at me?_ Deciding to throw caution to the wind, Harry sat up on his bed and asked, "Why do the kids look at Max weird?"

Severus looked up from where he was hanging upside-down, half way off his bed. He wasn't sure how he should answer that question. None of the other kids their age has a stuffed bear. Maybe it's because Max is so damaged? Maybe they think he's a baby? Severus knew he couldn't say that to Harry though. Harry is far too sensitive! He didn't bother to sit up as he answered his brother, "They are jealous." A little lie never hurt anyone.

Pride blossomed in Harry's chest as he looked from his upside-down brother to Max and back again. "Really?"

 _No, they think you're a baby._ Severus gave a small nod of his head, "Yep. They're jealous."

Smiling, Harry pulled Max closer and held him tight.

Seeing that, Severus rolled his eyes before closing them to continue thinking about his actions earlier in the day. He had already come to the conclusion that his problem today is name calling - first he called that annoying kid a dimwitted troll and then he called the Head Lady an old, heartless hag.

About five minutes later their silence was, once again, interrupted.

Severus immediately pulled himself upright and gave his attention to his mother. "I'm sorry for calling names. I don't know why I do it. I just get so angry when someone isn't being smart."

 _That's how you were as an adult too._ Minerva closed the bedroom door behind her and placed one of the desk chairs between the two beds. She sat down and said, "We need to figure out how to get you to stop calling names, Sev. It's very rude and hurts the person's feelings."

 _I don't always care about their feelings._ Severus stayed silent.

"When someone makes you mad and you want to call them a name you need to walk away. Be the bigger person, Sev," Minerva instructed him softly. "You need to write a letter to Gregory and apologize. Why is it always him, Severus?"

Severus made a face and fidgeted, "I just don't like him." Before she could comment on that, he asked, "What about the Head Lady? Do I not have to write her a letter too?"

 _What kind of lesson would I teach if I say no? That it's okay to call some people names but not others?_ She nodded, "Yes, write her an apology letter as well please." _Even though she doesn't deserve it._ "I want them written by supper time so I can send them out via owl."

When no one said anything for a minute or two, Harry asked, "Where is dad?" The name dad felt a little weird on his tongue but it felt amazing in his heart.

Surprised, Minerva smiled. "He should be back later. He went to speak with the Head Lady."

Severus paled, "Is that a good idea? What if he's not a bigger person and doesn't walk away? What if he calls her another name?"

Minerva reached over and gently patted Severus' knee, "Your father is a big boy. I have faith that he will make good choices." _Oh Merlin, Albus, please make good choices!_

Minerva stood and returned the chair to the desk, "I want the two of you to get cleaned up. We need to leave for lunch soon."

"What if dad's not back yet?" The worry was evident in Severus' voice.

Minerva stopped in the doorway to look back at him, "Your father can take care of himself, Sev. Now, please get cleaned up - you have ink on the underside of you arm." She smirked softly and left.

Blushing softly, Severus hid his arm from Harry's view. _Quills are so hard sometimes!_

* * *

Harry fidgeted in his seat and tried not to look at the sea of all the students. _I hate when they all stare!_

Severus, on the other hand, loved when they stared. _It's because I'm adorable._

Minerva nervously stirred her cup of tea. Her tea had grown cold a half an hour ago but she barely noticed. Albus still isn't back yet!

"Where's dad?" Severus asked as he pushed the peas around on his plate to make a smiley face.

Minerva pointed at the peas and snapped, "Eat your food, Severus. How many times do we need to tell you to not play with your food?"

Severus destroyed the smiley face in anger and dropped his spoon on the plate. He threw himself back against his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're no fun," he mumbled darkly.

Minerva rose an eyebrow at him and immediately pulled him up so he wasn't slouching. "Severus, if you do not get half of that plate in your tummy before it is time to leave you will not get a bedtime snack."

Severus gave her a glare. "You don't appreciate my artistic abilities."

Minerva sighed, "Just eat your food, Severus."

Harry watched his brother closely, praying he would just do as he was told.

Minerva ignored Severus' attitude and stared at the Great Hall doors, hoping Albus would walk through any second.

Angry, Severus picked his spoon back up and slowly began smashing the peas into mush. He clenched his jaw angrily. _She never likes my art! I'm so invisible since Harry came into the picture!_

Harry groaned softly as he watched his brother smash his peas, "Sev-" He immediately shut his mouth at the look he was given. He looked back at the student body and cringed as he realized that Severus was drawing attention to himself.

Realizing what her son was doing, Minerva closed her eyes and took a calming breath. "I hope you realize that you are still going to eat that."

Severus gave her a look that told her she was crazy, "It's mush!"

"And who made it mush, Severus?" Minerva leveled him with a stern look. Minerva didn't hear his response as the Great Hall doors opened and in stepped Albus. Minerva quickly stood. "I want the two of you to continue eating," she demanded as she left the Head Table to meet Albus.

Harry watched as his parents left the Great Hall so they could talk in the corridor. He was too busy wondering what they were talking about that he jumped in surprise when Severus wiped a little bit of his smashed peas on his arm. "What was that for?"

Severus smiled mischievously, "I say we start a food fight! These meals are always so boring for these students." _If mum and dad won't pay attention to me, I'll make them pay attention!_

Harry looked at him like he had grown a second head, "You're joking."

As a response, Severus grabbed a handful of his peas and smashed them against Harry's face.

Harry jumped up from his seat and furiously wiped the green mush off. "I can't believe you just did that!"

Poppy hurried over to them and stepped between the boys before Harry lunged at him. "Stop it! What on earth are you doing?"

Severus smirked and showed her his handful of smashed peas, "FOOD FIGHT!" He threw the peas at the medi-witch and then ran off, grabbing handfuls of food from the tables and throwing them at the students.

Much to Severus' delight, the students quickly joined in.

His joy was short-lived as he felt himself picked up by strong arms. He twisted to see who his captor is - Hagrid. "Put me down!" Severus screamed and tried to wiggle free.

Hagrid held him tight and ignored his yell. He watched as the rest of the professors put an end to the food fight.

"Every single one of you will come here for your free period and scrub this Great Hall clean!" Poppy hollered from the front of the Great Hall. She quickly used a cleaning spell to get the peas off herself and Harry.

Just then Minerva and Albus entered the Great Hall. They froze at the sight that surrounded them.

Red faced from anger, Albus yelled at the students, "Who started this?!" _Honestly I can't leave the castle for five minutes without something happening!_

Every single student in the hall immediately pointed at Severus.

Severus cringed and tried to make himself invisible in Hagrid's arms.

Albus felt himself shake in fury. His own son started the school food fight! His own six-year old son! "Severus Tobius Dumbledore-Snape!" His yell echoed around the Great Hall causing all the students to immediately grow pale.

Hagrid immediately placed the child on the ground and stepped back - almost as if he was offering up a sacrifice to an angry god.

 _Well, I wanted them to pay attention to me. . ._ Severus grimaced and dropped his eyes to his feet.

"In the corridor, _now_!" Albus demanded. He didn't even wait to see if Severus followed his directions as he exited the Great Hall.

Minerva sighed as she watched Severus hurry from the Great Hall. She looked up at Harry and offered him a small, reassuring smile.

Poppy could tell Harry was frightened. She gently rubbed his back and then pulled him close, "How about you and I go for a walk? The other professors can handle the clean-up with the students and I'm sure you don't want to be around while Severus gets in trouble."

Harry quickly agreed, "Where are we going to walk to?"

"Have you seen the Quidditch pitch yet?" At Harry's shake of his head, Poppy smiled and led him away.

* * *

The rest of the day went smoothly. Poppy had convinced Madam Hooch to take Harry for a spin around the Quidditch Pitch and then he and Poppy reorganized her storage supplies.

When Harry had returned home it was to find a fidgeting Severus sitting at the kitchen table writing his apology letters to the Head Lady and Gregory. Harry worked on his quill skills while Severus wrote his letters.

When supper came Severus was forced to apologize to the student body for his actions - which he loathed every second of. Albus and Minerva had gotten to the bottom of Severus' anger and found a solution to it - much to Severus' pleasure.

And now, Minerva was looking on at her sleeping boys - one sleeping on his tummy and the other cocooned in a ball. She let out a tired sigh, _Maybe we are too old to raise such young children. They are, after all, rowdy and rambunctious. Are we too old to keep up with them?_ She shook her head to make those thoughts disappear.

She stared at them for one last second before turning and quietly shutting the door behind her. Molly is waiting for her in the living room to discuss today's incident and she didn't want to wake the boys by leaving the door cracked open.

Molly smiled at her as she noticed the tired look on her face, "Long day, huh?"

Minerva let out a small, half-hearted laugh. "You have no idea."

"Actually, I do. Bill told me all about the food fight today. Sev is really struggling with this change, isn't he?"

Minerva sighed, "Some days he is perfectly fine and then the next day he is angry and looking in all the wrong places for attention." Changing the subject, Minerva asked, "What about your son? Did you get to the bottom of Bill's problem?"

"Someday you will learn that if they are being too stubborn to talk, all you need is a wooden spoon. It allows for them to let out all their pent-up emotions," Molly told her.

Minerva forced herself not to frown or verbally disagree. "Oh yeah?"

Molly nodded, "Sometimes all they need is to be reminded that they are still accountable for their actions and even when they mess up, they are still loved. He opened right up and told me exactly what was wrong."

Minerva nodded, intrigued to know what the boy's problem was.

"Bill was struggling with the same problem poor Severus was struggling with. He feels like he is an invisible member to our family. With Charlie and the twins always getting in trouble, Arthur and I are quite busy. Then, on top of that, I have Percy, Ronald and Ginny to take care of. We have to constantly watch Percy because he will bully Ron and Ron bullies Ginny. Bill feels like he doesn't have a position in our family."

Minerva sighed softly, "How do you do it, Molly? I only have two children and I feel like I give don't them enough attention as it is. Maybe if I had more time on my hands, Severus wouldn't keep feeling this way."

Molly shook her head, "No matter what you do, Min, he is still going to find times when he feels invisible. It's awful but it's true. As parents we just have to make sure that they know that we see them, care for them, and will always love them. Severus has never had a sibling before and now he has to share - it's only natural that he is having these feelings. You are doing nothing wrong."

Minerva smiled softly at her friend, "Thank you, Molly. That truly means a lot."

Molly nodded, "Now, tell me about today."

Minerva quickly retold today's events, "Albus still won't tell me what he did or said to her but not even an hour after he returned to the castle I got a letter from the Head Lady apologizing for her words and actions and she said that the boys are welcome back anytime. As you can assume, there is no way I will allow my boys to go back there. They are not appreciated and she doesn't deserve them."

Molly couldn't agree less, "I was thinking a great deal on your situation and have come up with a solution for you."

Curious, Minerva sat up straighter in her seat, "And that is?"

"I will pull my children from the program as well and home-school all six boys. It's not like I can't do it - I school them on the side anyway. I will just need to go to the Ministry and get approved. I could do that by next week!" Molly sounded proud of herself and Minerva could tell why - this is a brilliant plan!

"That sounds like a fantastic idea, Molly! Are you sure you are willing to give up your free time on Mondays though?" Minerva asked.

Molly laughed softly, "Free time? A mother _never_ has free time. Surely you have realized that by now?" At Minerva's laugh, Molly continued, "I would be delighted to home-school your boys, Min. No worries, dear."

Minerva smiled, "We can pay you the same amount that we were paying the program." She could tell Molly was about to say no and so she held up her hand, "That actually wasn't an option, Molly. Albus and I cannot allow you to school our boys for free. That's preposterous!"

Molly sighed and finally inclined her head, "Fine. I will go to the Ministry and get everything settled by next week." She stood and stretched her arms, "I better be returning home. It is getting rather late and Arthur is going to start to get worried." She pulled Minerva into a hug and then headed for the door, "If you need anything let me know. Even if it is just to get the boys off your hands for a little."

Minerva smiled and walked her out.

It's so nice to have such caring friends.

 **A/N Thanks for reading!**

 **Savoren.**


	10. Crowded Burrow

**Chapter Ten:**

 **Crowded Burrow  
**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm sorry it took so long to update. I have decided to keep the children young but because I decided that, I needed to stop and think the rest of the plot through and figure out where I was taking it. Originally I was going to age them but because that idea is changed, I had to re-write the rest of the outline. Anyway, it's all figured out and that means you will be getting more updates.**

 **Thanks,**

 **Savoren.**

Molly was right, it didn't even take three days for her to get approved for homeschooling the children and on Monday she quickly found her house filled with excited children all under the age of eleven. She could already feel a headache coming on.

"Ginny get that out of your mouth!" Molly screeched as she tried to carry all the cups of apple juice to the table.

Seeing Mrs. Weasley struggle, Severus jumped to his feet and hurried to her side, taking two cups from her.

Molly smiled, "Thank you dear. That was very kind of you."

Severus stayed silent, still not feeling comfortable enough to speak to this woman.

Molly huffed, "Ginny!" Thrusting her hand underneath the five-year old's mouth, Molly gave her a dangerous look, "Spit it out!" Immediately a slimy eraser landed in her hand. She disposed of the eraser and then knealed in front of her daughter. "Why were you chewing on the eraser?"

Ginny cringed and stuck her finger into her mouth, "Felt good."

Molly barely understood a word she said, "Get your finger out of your mouth, Ginerva."

Whining, Ginny pulled her finger out and gave her mother a sad look. "It hurts!"

Harry, knowing exactly what was wrong with Ginny, stood from the table and went to the freezer, pulling out a piece of ice. He handed it to her, "Suck on that. It will make it numb."

Ginny quickly did as Harry instructed her.

Molly sighed, Ginny is only five but all the boys got their six-year old molars early too. "Back to the table, Ginny. You need to finish your coloring assignment." She looked at Harry's and gave a small shake of her head, "Harry, you're not even close to being done."

Harry blushed and hurried to his seat, "I'm trying. . ."

Molly nodded, "I know, sweetie. Is there anything you need help with?"

Harry quickly shook his head and dropped his eyes to the coloring assignment. He is taking so long because it's hard to stay in the lines. Currently they are coloring a picture for each letter of the alphabet. Molly had decided to start them all off with something simple so she knew where they all were developmentally.

Molly took her seat at the head of the table. Fred and George weren't taking the assignment seriously and were coloring everything wrong (for instance, they gave the picture of the cat pink and green zebra stripes). Severus was flying through the assignment and was already on letter S. She kind of gave up on Fred and George taking this assignment seriously, she knew it was too easy for them anyway but it's a good way for them to relax before the real work for them starts. Percy refused to color and instead started reading Hogwarts, a History. Ron enjoyed every second of his coloring.

George snorted as he looked at Severus' picture of the sun. "You colored the sun wrong. . . Have you never gone outside during the day-light? Is that why you are so pale?"

Severus glared daggers at the red-headed twin and clenched the crayon tight. "I did _not_ color the sun wrong, _jerk_."

Molly sighed and said in a warning tone, "Boys."

George ignored her. "The sun is yellow not red!"

The crayon snapped in Severus' angry grip. He seethed, "No! The sun is red not yellow! The sun is a big ball of fire and fire is red!"

Molly clapped her hands, trying to get their attention. "Boys, use your inside voices. You may disagree with each other but I do not approve of name calling or degrading. Am I clear?"

Severus slouched in the seat and crossed his arms. "He started it. . ."

Molly sighed. "I don't care _who_ started it, _I_ am ending it." She leveled them with a firm look, "You are both right. The sun is on fire and, up close, technically, the sun will be red. However, George is also right because at a far-away glance, the sun is yellow."

Ron frowned deeply, "I thought we weren't supposed to look at the sun?"

George ignored his brother and smirked proudly at Severus, "Told ya."

Severus snarled at him, "Bite me."

Growing impatient, Molly stood and took both the twins' coloring assignments and Severus', "I believe you are done now. This assignment is far too easy for the three of you anyway." Filing their assignments in the folders with their names on it, Molly found them a different assignment to do. She placed the math work sheets in front of them. "I want you to complete these in silence and," she narrowed her eyes at the twins, "by yourself."

Harry could feel his anger growing inside him as he, once again, accidentally colored outside the lines. _Why am I so stupid? I can't even color right!_ Angry, Harry pushed the assignment away, "I don't want to color anymore!"

Molly frowned, Harry and Ginny were the reasons she assigned this assignment. Harry seemed a little delayed in some things. "Why, dear?"

Harry shoved the parchment toward her, "Because I suck!"

Molly's frown deepened, Harry was probably told that phrase by his relatives. "You're fine, Harry."

Harry shook his head, "NO! I can't even color inside the lines! I tried and I failed!"

Molly looked at his assignment, he barely colored outside the lines. "Your picture doesn't have to be perfect, dear." _Does he have OCD?_

Again, Harry roughly shook his head. "Yes it does! I messed up! Can't you just give me a different assignment?"

Molly returned the assignment in front of the boy. "No. You need to finish this. You can do it! You just need to stop being so hard on yourself, dearie."

Glaring at the parchment, Harry angrily picked up a different crayon and moved on to the next letter, K. _I'm too stupid for school - Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were right!_ He glared at the picture, he didn't even know how to pronounce that word and (like most of the others he couldn't pronounce, he didn't even know what this picture was of!).

Harry bit his lip and played with the crayon, hoping she wouldn't notice if he just stopped coloring altogether.

Severus flew through the addition and subtraction worksheets, growing bored.

Molly smiled, Severus is definitely intelligent. She took the worksheets from him and handed him multiplication and a dividing worksheet. She watched in awe as he flew through that worksheet as well. Molly couldn't help but feel impressed - Severus is only six-years old and yet he just dominated all of her math worksheets. _I'm going to have to find harder ones._

She looked over at Harry and sighed, he was still staring at letter K. "Do you need help, Harry?"

Harry shook his head and stayed silent, not willing to admit it.

Molly sighed and stood to go stand beside him, "Do you know what animal that is?"

After a moment, Harry finally shook his head. "No ma'am. . ." He whispered, embarrassed.

She smiled at him gently, trying to ease his mind. "That's okay, dear. This is a kangaroo. Kangaroos are brown and see that," She pointed to the pouch on the animal, "That is where the baby kangaroo (which is called a joey) sleeps and is protected." Her smile grew when she noticed Harry's interest, "Kangaroos live in Australia."

Harry nodded, staying silent. He picked the brown crayon up and tried his best to stay in the lines. Harry's anger immediately grew when Ginny (the five-year old) finished the coloring assignment _before_ him.

Harry clenched the crayon hard in his grip. _I should just give up on school - I'm too stupid!_ Looking over at Ron he noticed that the red-head wasn't taking the assignments seriously.

Ron rolled his eyes and gestured to his mother who was helping Ginny with the math worksheet.

Harry chuckled softly under his breath and looked back down at the coloring sheet, he only had two more letters to go.

* * *

Molly felt as if her head was going to explode and her patience has already been wearing down to practically nothing. Fred and George won't stop picking on Percy. Harry and Ron won't stop playing with their food (currently they are making a castle out of their carrot sticks and peanut butter) and laughing about everything. Ginny is refusing to eat and constantly keeps whining. Severus is the only one behaving and that's mainly because he's reading a book while eating his snack.

When Molly's back was turned, Ron reached over and grabbed a lump of Ginny's hair, pulling down viciously. Hearing her cry out, Ron smirked, "I told you to stop whining! Now, you actually have something to whine about!" He gave the lump of hair another tug.

Molly spun around, eyes flashing dangerously. "Ronald Bilius Weasley! Let your sister's hair go, _now!"_

Ron immediately dropped the hair, glanced at Harry and gave him a smirk causing Harry to laugh.

Molly's patience snapped. She snapped her fingers and pointed dangerously in front of her, "Ronald Bilius you come here this instant!"

Harry's smile immediately faded away as he watched his friend pale and grow nervous.

Slowly, Ron stood from the table. He dragged his feet until he stood in front of his mother. Keeping his head down, Ron fidgeted as he waited for her to yell at him.

"Give me your hands," Her tone caused shivers to run down Ron's spine.

Biting his lip, he glanced at the rest of the kids behind him, a tint of a blush appearing on his cheeks.

Molly felt herself growing impatient, "Ronald Bilius, _now!"_

Nervously, Ron slowly put his hands out, already cringing for he knew what was to come.

As soon as his hands were in front of her, Molly slapped the one hand while saying, "You do _not_ pull your sister's hair!" She gave him a stern look as Ron immediately hid his other hand behind his back. "Give me your other hand, Ronald!"

Whimpering, Ron looked up at his mom, "I'm sorry, mommy. I won't pull her hair again, I promise."

Molly kept her face stern, "Hand. Now!"

Dropping his head, Ron brought his other hand up and closed his eyes. As soon as she slapped the second hand he quickly dropped it and tried to wipe the sting away. "I'm sorry, mommy. . ."

Taking hold of his chin, she leveled him with a firm look. "Apologize to your sister, not me."

Sighing, Ron turned to his teary-eyed sister and mumbled, "Sorry."

Ginny whimpered, "Mummy he doesn't mean it!"

Ron growled at her, "Shove it where the sun doesn't shine, brat!"

Harry tried to hide his laugh but wasn't very successful since Molly shot him an angry look. He dropped his eyes to the plate and stared at the carrot castle.

Molly smacked the table with both hands causing all the children to jump and immediately shut their mouths. She closed her eyes and took in a deep, calming breath. _Finally some peace and quiet!_ When she opened her eyes she had to hold in her growl when she saw Fred and George poking Percy, Ron and Ginny were glaring daggers at each other. "That's it!" She yelled suddenly.

All children froze.

Molly continued, "Snack time is over, none of you seem to want to eat anyway! Ginny, Harry and Ron, go take a nap!" She then leveled her stern look on the twins, "Fred and George, separate! I want one of you to sit at the coffee table in the living room and one of you at the table. I expect you to work hard on your assignments and keep your traps shut!" She turned to look at Severus and Percy, sighing softly. "You two, just _behave_ and be quiet."

No one moved a muscle.

Ron frowned deeply, "How come we have to nap but Severus doesn't? He's the same age as us!"

Severus rolled his eyes, "Because I'm not being a brat, that's why!"

Ron clenched his fist, "I want to hit you! You're such a mean person!"

Fred and George exchanged nervous looks before playing a quick game of rock, paper and scissors. Fred lost and watched sadly as George escaped the kitchen, going to the living room to do his homework.

"I'm a mean person? I'm logical! I don't have to nap because I haven't misbehaved!" Severus yelled at the red-head.

Molly felt as if she were going to explode. "ENOUGH! I have _had_ it! Ronald, put your nose in the corner. Severus, you too!" She then spun to look at the other two, "Go nap. _Now._ "

Harry and Ginny jumped to their feet and hurried off. Ginny went to her bedroom and Harry got comfortable on the couch, cuddling with a crocheted blanket.

Severus glared at the corner, feeling as if everything was unfair. Crossing his arms over his chest, he contemplated his vengeance on the red-head.

After six minutes (one minute for each year of their life), Molly called the two boys to her side. Seeing them both glaring at the kitchen floor, she sighed softly. "What did you do wrong?"

Severus kept his mouth clamped shut, believing he didn't do _anything_ wrong.

Ron nibbled on his bottom lip and mumbled, "Yelled and was rude to Severus."

Molly nodded, "What else?"

Ron forced himself not to groan. He wracked his brain, trying to figure out what else he did wrong.

When Ron remained contemplative, Molly took pity on him and said, "You did not follow the instructions. When I tell you to do something, you do it. Do you understand?"

Ron gave a quick nod of his head, making his hair fly everywhere. "I'm sorry, mum."

Pulling her youngest son into a hug, she kissed the top of his head, "Go nap. You are forgiven and I still love you." She smiled softly as she watched Ron run up the stairs to his bedroom.

Hiding a mischievous smirk, Fred perked up in his seat and looked at his mother. "Mum, I need to go to my room real quick."

Molly frowned, "Why?"

Fred pretended to seem annoyed, "I just do. It's _private_. Please, may I go?"

Sighing, Molly waved him off. She turned back to the still angry child, "What did you do wrong, Severus?"

Severus let out a heated huff. "Nothing," he snapped, attitude dripped from his tongue like poison.

Molly frowned. Disapproval etched on her face, "Are you sure?"

Severus nodded. "I'm positive. I stood up for myself, that's not bad."

Tired, Molly sighed. "Standing up for yourself is good. However, you need to learn how to stand up for yourself in a better way. Do not let anyone taunt you into calling names or yelling back. Remember to always try to not go down on peoples' levels. Do you understand?"

Severus' glare relaxed, what Mrs. Weasley said is smart and makes sense. "Yeah, I understand." He relaxed his shoulders, dropping the attitude stance. Finally, he looked up at her, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley."

Smiling, Molly pulled him into a hug. She felt the child stiffen at first but after a few seconds he relaxed. Molly placed a small kiss to the top of his head, "I forgive you, child." Patting his back, she pulled out of the hug. "Now, how about you finish that book you were reading during snack time?"

Severus nodded and quickly returned to his seat at the table.

After a few moments, Fred returned to his seat. He seemed to be struggling with an excited smile.

Everything went silent and Molly sunk in the chair, trying to calm down. This whole homeschooling situation is a lot harder than she anticipated (no wonder the Head Lady was such a bitch).

Unfortunately the silence did not last long. After about ten minutes, the silence was destroyed by a sickening scream coming from upstairs.

Heart racing, Molly jumped to her feet and ran up the stairs. Knowing her children, she knew the scream came from Ron. Throwing the bedroom door open, she hurried to her crying son's side and immediately checked him up and down, panicking. "What's wrong, Ron? What happened?"

Tears streamed down his face, the pain in his hand thumped and stung. He raised his hand and showed his mother the red bump, "Something bit me!" He barely noticed the rest of the kids standing in the doorway because his tears made his vision blurry.

Fred felt his heart drop. He didn't mean for the spider to _bite_ his brother, just scare the crap out of him (maybe even make him wet the bed!). Fred remained silent, scared of getting himself in trouble if he admitted to putting the spider in Ron's bed. Ron always seemed fascinated with spiders, Fred just wanted to show him that spiders are actually really creepy - especially if you're sleeping with it!

Percy pushed his way into the bedroom and knelt down beside his brother. He grabbed his brother's free hand as their mother inspected the bite mark. Keeping his voice gentle, Percy asked, "Did you see what it was? Does it burn?"

Sobbing, Ron sniffled, trying to stop the snot from rolling down over his lips. "I-it was small and black. It burns so bad!"

Percy immediately started rubbing his brother's free hand, trying to console him in his time of pain. "It'll be okay, Ronnie. Mum will make you feel all better, okay?"

Harry watched on with fear-filled eyes, whatever it was that bit Ron, could it bite him too?! He nervously looked around the small room.

Molly immediately started waving her wand over the bite mark and watched as the swelling went down and the redness faded. Once the mark was barely pink, she asked in a gentle voice, "How does it feel, baby?"

Sniffling, Ron hid his face in his mother's chest and shuddered, "Better. W-what was it?"

Molly gently rubbed her son's back in a soothing, circular pattern. "A spider, sweetie. It's okay though." She continued comforting her son and looked to the rest of the children still crowded in the doorway, "He is fine now. You may return to what you were doing." She frowned when her eyes landed on her guilt-stricken son, Fred. With a frown, she eyed him closer, "Fred, do you have something to say?"

Fred shifted his weight from each foot and waited until all the other kids returned downstairs. A shameful expression graced his face as he looked at his little brother. His heart clenched as he thought about how he caused his brother pain. "I'm. . . It was only meant to spook him." Seeing her face immediately harden, Fred dropped his eyes to the floor and nibbled on his lip.

Ron sat up and turned to glare at his older brother, "You put the spider in my bed?!"

Cheeks red, Fred gulped and gave a tiny nod of his head. "I'm so very sorry though, Ron! I didn't mean for it to hurt you!"

Patting her youngest son's back, Molly gently moved him off her lap. Placing a gentle kiss to his forehead, Molly tucked him back into bed and patted his hair, "Go back to sleep, dearie. I will wake you shortly." When Ron nodded and closed his eyes, Molly turned to give her other son a sharp, disappointed look. "Follow me to your bedroom, young man."

With his head hung low, Fred did as he was told.

* * *

When Minerva entered the Burrow a little before lunch-time, she found herself surprised to see every child quietly working at the kitchen table. Looking at the Mother Goose, Minerva noticed Molly looked exhausted.

Molly looked up from her knitting when she heard Minerva enter. A look of relief flashed over her face and she jumped to her feet, quietly ushering Minerva into the living room.

Once in the living room, Minerva looked Molly up and down, concerned. "How bad was it?"

Molly waved it off, "Oh, it wasn't that bad."

Eyeing her closely, Minerva thinned her lips at the younger woman. "Don't lie to me, Molly."

Feeling rebuked, Molly sighed and forced herself to not blush. "They were hooligans - complete nutters at some points in the day."

Minerva sighed deeply and looked through the open door-way to look at her hard-working boys. "I'm sorry to hear that, Molly. What did they do?"

Leaving out a tired sigh, Molly ushered Minerva to a seat and then sat down herself. "Have no worries, it wasn't only your boys that were driving me bonkers. Fred and George wouldn't stop poking fun and they weren't taking their work seriously. Ginny wouldn't stop whining all day. Ron pulled Ginny's hair. Fred put a spider in Ron's bed (the spider bit him!). Severus talked back and gave me attitude after getting into an argument with Ron about nap-time. Harry," She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Harry seemed to have given up half-way through the day. Have you noticed how little he thinks of his intelligence? He thinks of himself as being daft, did you know that? I mean, yeah, the muggles put a damper in his education but it's not like he cannot catch up."

Minerva bit her lip, worried. "How much harm did they cause him, education wise?"

Molly sighed softly and glanced at the, now, hard-working little boy. "He cannot read very well and still have problems with a quill and writing in general. I couldn't get him to complete a single math problem on the worksheet - the worksheet was adding and subtracting. Also, I'm pretty positive he has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). He would become extremely irate when he accidentally colored outside the lines and he showed other symptoms throughout the day."

Minerva bit her lip and juggled this information. "Will he be able to catch up to other children his age?"

Molly nodded, "Of course! I will just have to keep making him practice and teach him ways to cope with his OCD. You need to get him officially checked out though - this is just my guess."

Minerva nodded in understanding, "Thank you." Looking in the kitchen again, her eyes landed on her older son. "And Severus? How is he?"

Molly's eyes sparkled with excitement at the thought of Severus' intelligence. "I think a lot of his education remained with him even though he de-aged! He zoomed past all the math worksheets that I have. He did fantastic in everything that I put in front of him. Did you know he even knows that the sun is actually a star and it's on fire?"

Minerva smiled, relieved that Severus is doing so well. "That's great news! Thank you, Molly." Changing the subject, Minerva let out a tiny sigh. "So, after this rowdy day, are you sure you want to keep homeschooling them?"

Molly chuckled, "Do you think I'm going to let a bunch of kids scare me?" She shook her head, a small laugh begging to escape. "I expect to see the boys here again on Wednesday." They had agreed that school would be on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays.

After giving the red-head a hug, Minerva re-entered the kitchen and eyed her two boys. "Are you ready to head home? The Great Hall will be filling up for lunch soon."

Harry glanced at Ron, today they had grown pretty close (even though it was only during free-time, snack-time and when they didn't want to take the work seriously). Looking back at his mother, Harry shook his head. "I want to stay here."

Minerva forced herself to not frown but she couldn't help but feel a little confused. _Why doesn't he want to come home with me?_ She couldn't help but feel a little hurt. At a closer look, Minerva's frown grew, _Where is Max?!_ "Harry, dear, where is Max?"

Harry's eyes grew wide and panic immediately took over. He dropped the quill that was in his hand and sprinted into the living room, his heart pounding in his chest. When he saw his bear laying on the couch, Harry let out a loud sigh of relief.

Picking Max up, Harry held him tight against his chest, "I'm sorry I left you here, Max. . . I don't know why I forgot you. It's just. . . Ron woke me up from the nap because he was screaming and I just ran to see if he was okay. I'm so sorry, Max. Will you ever be able to forgive me?" He eyed his one-eyed bear closely and once he felt satisfied, he hugged Max tighter, "Thank you! I love you, Max!"

Molly offered Minerva a smile and whispered, "That's a good sign. Maybe he won't need Max for much longer?"

Minerva felt her heart flutter. She smiled at Harry, "Come, bring Max. It's time to go home. Daddy will be waiting for us and you know it's rude to be late to lunch."

Harry sighed and looked at his friend, "But if we leave I can't see Ron for a long time." He dropped his eyes, knowing full-well he was whining like Ginny.

Severus rolled his eyes from his seat, "Oh for Merlin's sake don't be a baby!" He felt his mother's disapproving glare on his head and immediately changed his tone, "We will come back in two days - that's not a long time."

Harry glared at him and crossed his arms, crushing Max against himself.

Before the two could argue further, Minerva gave Harry's bottom a light pat and pointed towards his Fall robe, "Gather up your stuff; it's time to leave."

Sighing, Harry did as he was told.

Once both boys were ready, Minerva, once again, thanked Molly and then they returned to Hogwarts just in time for lunch.

 **A/N: Again, I'm sorry for the long wait!**

 **Savoren.**


	11. The Big Bad Wolf

**Chapter Eleven:**

 **The Big Bad Wolf**

Harry watched on in contemplation. He couldn't help but wonder if he will ever get used to thinking of this man as his father. It's just such a strange idea! How could someone willingly take a freak like him in, let alone _love_ them?

It's weird how fast a person's life can change. One day he lived in the cupboard under the stairs and then the next day he's living in a castle surrounded by magic!

With his mind elsewhere, Harry didn't realize he was being spoken to until his father gently touched his arm. Surprised, Harry noticed his father had sat back down and the students were already devouring the food on their plates. He looked to his father, wondering if he had done something wrong.

Realizing the boy had not heard him the first time, Albus asked his question again, "How were your classes with Mrs. Weasley?"

Severus perked up beside him and smirked. "Personally, it was amazing. I loved it! I just wish there wasn't so many little kids."

Harry rolled his eyes, "You're little too! Stop acting like you're not."

Severus smirked, "You're just jealous because Percy likes me."

"Why should I care who Percy likes? He's annoying," Harry snapped back. _He's annoying just like you!_

Before the argument could continue, Albus interrupted them. "I am glad you like your schooling, Severus. What was your favorite part?"

Severus' face lit up again, "She didn't make me take a nap!"

Albus chuckled softly and gave a small shake of his head, "So you'll want to be in bed early tonight?"

Severus gave him a half-hearted glare, "No. I'm not a baby."

"What about you, Harry? What was your favorite part about school with Mrs. Weasley?" Albus questioned.

Harry dropped his eyes, "I liked hanging out with Ron."

Albus gave an encouraging nod, "Do you like what you are learning?"

Harry immediately scrunched his face in disgust and shook his head, "I don't like school."

Severus smirked, "You mean you're too stupid for school."

Hurt, Harry glared at him.

Albus sighed, tired of the feud between the two boys. "Severus, be nice to your brother."

Having over-heard the whole conversation so far, Minerva interrupted them, "I know it's hard, dear, but it will get easier for you. You will learn to enjoy school as you get older."

Harry glared at the plate of broccoli, "Doubtful. School is stupid and a waste of time."

Albus sighed and looked for help. Seeing Zachary, his eyes twinkled madly.

Taking the silent cue, Zachary jumped in, "What are you struggling with, Harry?"

Smirking, Severus kept his eyes on his plate and muttered, "Everything."

Huffing, Albus leveled his eldest son with a withering stare, "Young man that is quite enough. If you have nothing nice to say than I suggest you sit there and keep your mouth shut."

Severus dropped his eyes, he hadn't realized how loud he had spoken. He fought with the blush that kept daring to glow on his cheeks.

Sensing her son was growing more and more embarrassed as the silenced ticked by, Minerva spoke up, answering Zachary's question. "Molly told me that he is struggling with writing, reading and mathematics."

Zachary gave a slow nod of understanding. He offered Harry a soft, encouraging smile and said, "My niece, Luna, also struggles with mathematics. It's quite normal, nothing to be ashamed about, Harry. I help Luna on the weekends when she comes to stay with me. She is coming this weekend because her mother is experimenting and her father is swamped with edits for his new idea for a magazine (I think he is going to call it The Quibbler, or something like that. . .). Anyway, while she is here perhaps the two of you can have a play-date and you can join us for our math lesson."

Harry groaned, "Learning hurts my head. Can't I just play with her without having to learn?"

Zachary chuckled and gave a small shake of his head, "Oh, you silly boy. Learning is found in everything. Even when you do not think you are learning, you are."

Harry slumped a little in his seat, glaring softly at his plate. "I hate learning."

"Only because you are stupid," Severus whispered, smirking to himself. _He is never going to be as smart as me!_

Wagging a stern finger at his son, Albus snapped, "Severus Tobias that is _enough_! What has gotten into you? How many warnings must I give you before you keep your insults to yourself?"

Minerva sighed, _Why the sudden competition?_ "Severus, apologize to your brother. Education is _not_ a competition. You need encourage him, not put him down."

Grumbling, Severus fidgety in his seat and glanced to Zachary. Blushing softly when the man frowned at him, Severus glanced to his brother and muttered, "Sorry."

Knowing he didn't mean it, Harry ignored him and picked up his fork to start eating. _He's such a prat! I already know I'm stupid, he doesn't need to rub it in!_

Minerva returned to the conversation with Zachary, hoping Severus would finally keep his trap shut. "I will get back to you about the play-date. We will see if they earn the right or not. I will definitely bring Harry to the lesson though, thank you for offering."

They fell into a comfortable silence for a while, all focusing on their food.

Harry quietly pouted, eating the last bite of his food. _Someday I am going to be stronger than him and then we will see who gets the last laugh. I'm not always going to be the smallest; he may be older but someday it will be my turn!_

Having decided he was done picking on his little brother (if only to save his backside), Severus scooped the last bite of corn into his mouth and turned to Harry, whispering, "I'm going to Professor Reyn's after lunch. He's going to teach me about some of his ingredients! He even lets me put them in the cauldron sometimes! Do you want to come? I bet you would like it."

Harry turned and leveled him with a small glare, "Like you said, I'm stupid. I'd just mess the potion up!"

Rolling his eyes, Severus muttered, "Don't be such a grump. I apologized, okay? I was only joking anyway, don't be such a baby."

Clenching his fists under the table, Harry forced himself to take a deep breath. _If he calls me one more name I'm gonna hurt him. I'll make him cry and then we will see who is being a baby!_ "I don't want to go with you," he told Severus between his clenched teeth. "Besides, I'd rather hang out with Peeves."

Hurt, Severus glared right back. "Why are you so obsessed with him? He's bad and will only get you in trouble, you already know that."

Harry gave a small shrug, _He's better to hang out with than you._ "He's misunderstood, not bad."

Severus smirked, "And what do you think mum and dad will say when I tell them you're going to play with the menace?"

"You're a tattle tale and a jerk," Harry muttered darkly.

"I'll tell them you called me a name too," Severus added with a darker smirk.

"I hate you," Harry whispered, glaring at his empty plate.

Taken back, Severus quickly recovered and whispered, "Yeah? Well I hate you too."

"Good. Then stop talking to me. Besides, I'm not smart enough for you anyway!"

Clenching his jaw, Severus looked away from his little brother. "Yeah, you aren't."

Minerva interrupted their quiet argument, "Do you want more food boys?" She frowned with worry when they both quietly shook their heads. "Alright. Is there something I need to know?"

Severus and Harry glanced at each other and then looked away, both shaking their heads again.

Glancing at Albus, Minerva's frown deepened.

Albus sighed softly, knowing what the look on his wife's face meant. "What's going on boys?"

"Nothin'," Harry muttered, glaring at his plate.

Severus quietly mimicked him, not entirely sure why his little brother was being so testy. _I said I was sorry he doesn't need to keep being a brat._

Knowing something was up, Zachary jumped in to try to relieve the tension between the small family. "Minerva, is it still alright if I take Severus after lunch?"

Sighing softly, Minerva nodded, "Yeah. Perhaps some alone time away from his brother will do them both good."

Zachary nodded, eyeing the black-haired boy closely, "If you are ready, Severus, we can go to the dungeons now?"

Severus gave a quick nod of his head and jumped up from his seat, eager to leave.

Albus watched as his eldest and Zachary left the Great Hall. He turned his attention to his youngest, "And what are you going to do? Would you like to come with me and practice your reading?"

Shaking his head, Harry gave him a grossed-out look. "No, thank you. Can I go for a walk?" _If I ask if I can go play with Peeves he would surely say no._

Albus gave a small shake of his head, glancing out over the sea of students eating desert. "Not alone."

Harry frowned, "Why not? I won't go anywhere I don't know; I won't get lost."

Turning his gaze on his son, Albus leveled him with a stern look. "I said no, Harry."

Leaving out a small huff, Harry crossed his arms over his chest and slouched in his seat. "You didn't say why."

Albus sighed softly, forcing himself to be patient. The two boys had obviously woken up on the wrong side of the bed today. "You are six years old, Harry."

Harry glared at the table top, "So? Severus is six and he gets to put ingredients in potions! Isn't that dangerous too? How come he can do that but I can't go for a walk?"

"Your brother does it with an adult, Harry. I said you could go for a walk so long as you have someone with you," Albus explained. He couldn't help but grow a little impatient with the boy.

Not having a response, Harry slouched more in the seat and quietly pouted.

Albus huffed softly, "Or would you rather I drag you to my office where you can work on your quill skills with a sore bottom?"

Taking pity on the boy, Pomona spoke up, "He can go for a walk with me. I need to go check on the plants. A frost is coming soon and I need to make sure they are nice and prepared."

Harry stayed silent, _I don't want to actually go for a walk! I want to play with Peeves!_

Albus gave a nod, "Yes, that would be great. Thank you, Pomona."

Folding her used napkin and placing it on the empty plate, she waited until it disappeared with a soft pop and then slowly stood from her chair, allowing her muscles to stretch and crack. "Are you ready then, dear?"

Internally grimacing, Harry pushed his empty plate away from him and stood, already planning on how to escape her and find Peeves.

"Behave for Pomona, Harry," Minerva instructed him gently. "And have fun! I will see you later." Turning to her co-worker, Minerva said, "Make him behave for you. If there are any problems bring him to either myself or his father. How long do you think the walk will take?"

She smiled and looked down at the messy-haired six-year old, "I'm sure he will be just fine with me. I will bring him to one of you in two hours, unless, of course, he has a lot of fun. Then I will keep him until supper, if that is alright with you? I could use help with the plants and he seems like the perfect little helper."

 _I'm not little._ Harry set his jaw with annoyance and watched his messy plate disappear with a soft pop. _Why does everything think I'm a baby? I'M NOT A BABY! Five-year olds are babies, I'm SIX! If it takes both hands to count how old you are then you're old enough to go for walks by yourself and people shouldn't talk down to you! Two hands is a big deal and it feels like no one understands that!_

"Harry? Are you ready?" Pomona asked, concern evident on her wrinkled face.

Shaking himself out of his racing mind, Harry gave a tiny nod and moved to follow her. He cringed away from his mother's hands as she attempted to pull him in for a goodbye hug. He hurried after the woman and left the Great Hall.

As they walked toward the front doors, Pomona smiled down at the little boy. _He's just so darn cute! He looks just like James! I hope he likes plants, I could teach him so much!_ "Do you know anything about magical plants, dear?"

Harry gave a small shake of his head, keeping a few steps away from her in case she tried to hold him hand like a toddler. "Is there a difference? I thought plants are just plants."

She chuckled softly, opening the entrance door and holding it until Harry walked through. She firmly closed it behind her and started down the path. "For some plants there is a big difference but with others they look completely normal. Most of the plants are used for potions. Now, I want to warn you before we get to the greenhouses. Some of the plants can be considered scary but I promise they won't hurt you, alright?"

Harry eyed her suspiciously, "How can a plant be scary?"

She pointed off in the direction of the greenhouses, "That is where we are going, Harry. Some of the plants are scary because they scream or they wiggle and try to catch prey."

Harry paled. "Like Venus fly traps?" His imagination immediately conjured an image of a huge plant capturing him and swallowing him whole!

She smiled, nodding her head proudly. "Yes, good job!" Seeing his pale face, she added, "But like I said, they won't hurt you. When we get inside I will point out the plants that I don't want you touching or being near, okay?"

Harry gave a quick nod of his head, "Yes ma'am."

Realizing she might have scared the boy more than she anticipated, Pomona reached over and gave his hand a comforting squeeze.

Uncomfortable, Harry wiggled his hand out of her grasp and quickened his pace to the greenhouses. He couldn't help but feel eager to escape.

When they entered, she immediately pointed out the dangerous plants and shrunk a pair of gloves for him. "Let's start in the corner over there. We need to pull any weeds and add more soil to keep them nice and cozy. Think you can do that with me?"

He gave a small nod and quietly put on the gloves. _This is going to be horrible. How come Severus gets to have fun and I have to do chores?_

Leading him over to the first plant, she knelt down and started pointing at small weeds poking up from the soil, "We need to pull these. Have you ever done gardening before?"

Harry gave a small nod of his head and immediately started pulling out the tiny weeds, making sure to get the roots and all. "Yes ma'am. My aunt and uncle used to make me do the gardening. I can plant, weed and harvest."

She frowned softly, "Well, I guess sometimes it's good to start things early. I bet that was nice bonding time with your relatives."

Harry snorted and roughly pulled out another weed, "I didn't have help."

Her frown deepened and she went silent. They worked on pulling weeds and adding soil for a good hour before she leaned back and stretched out her back.

Harry flinched at the crack he heard and dropped his eyes to the dirt-covered gloves.

Standing, she offered him her hand and pulled him to his feet. "You may take a break now. I need to go weed and add soil to the dangerous plants. Entertain yourself until I am finished, I shouldn't take too long."

As soon as her back was turned on him Harry took his chance to escape. He left as quietly as he could and hurried off to find Peeves. He ran around the grounds yelling his name until he finally found him near the Black Lake.

"Hello younglin! Where is SevviePooh?" Peeves asked, as he flew in circles above the dark water, easily evading the squid.

Harry gave him a dark glare, "Don't call me that. He's with his best friend."

Hearing his tone, Peeves flew closer to him and leveled him with a concerned frown, "What is wrong?"

Harry crossed his arms over his chest and crawled up on the boulder, "I'm stupid and Severus is a bully!"

Peeves glared off into the distance, "Did he call you stupid?"

Harry gave a tiny nod of his head, watering eyes watched as the squid swam off.

"Well we will get payback that's what we'll do! You're not stupid, Harry."

Harry gave a sad nod of his head, "But I am. I can't even read very well! When I try to read all the letters get flipped and messed up! There's something wrong with my brain and eyes!"

Floating over to look like he was sitting, Peeves frowned and asked, "Have you told your parents about that?"

Harry gave a tiny shake of his head, a deep blush burning his cheeks. "They'd only think I'm even more stupid!"

Peeves shook his head, disagreeing with the little boy. "You're right, there is something wrong with you but it's not something you can help. You might have Dyslexia. Have you ever heard of that before, Harry?"

Harry frowned and shook his head, "No. Sounds like a dinosaur though." His eyes immediately went wide, "Dinosaurs couldn't read either! I have a dinosaur disease, don't I?!"

Chuckling, Peeves shook his head, "It's normal. Just talk to your parents about it. You're not stupid though and if I hear you say that again I'll flood the second floor and blame you. Got it?" He smiled proudly when he finally saw a tiny smile spreading across Harry's face. "Come on, let's stop being so serious! What do you want to do for fun?"

Harry gave a small shrug of his shoulders, "I just wanted to talk to you."

"Well we did the talking. Now it's time for fun! Have you ever seen a unicorn?"

Harry's eyes grew wide, "They're real?!"

Peeves laughed again and nodded, "I was flying through the forest earlier and saw a herd of them! There's even a baby! It's little unicorn horn looked like a little nub! Do you want to see them?"

Harry gave a quick nod of his head, "Yeah! Are we allowed in there?" He jumped off the boulder and ran after the flying poltergeist. "It looks really dark."

Peeves stopped at the edge of the forest, "I'll protect you!"

Harry eyed the darkness with uncertainty, "Promise?"

Peeves nodded and flew into the forest, "You're my friend! I won't let anything bad happen to you!"

 _He said I'm his friend!_ Smiling, Harry hurried after him. "Can unicorns fly?"

Peeves shook his head, flying slowly so he wouldn't lose the six-year old, "No. That's a Pegasus."

Shivers ran up his spine as he heard the mysterious sounds of the forest around him. _I hate the dark!_ "Is there anything dangerous in this forest?"

Peeves hesitated to answer, not wanting to scare his young friend. "Unicorns aren't dangerous, just don't try to touch one when we find them."

Harry frowned, "But surely there are more than just unicorns in this forest?"

Peeves nodded, looking down so he could watch his reaction. "There are spiders and snakes and other things."

Hearing a loud crack coming from his left, Harry froze, "Anything that could eat me?" _I'm so little I'd be a snack!_

Peeves hesitated again, "Well, I mean there are wolves and other animals like that. . ."

Harry felt his blood run cold as his eyes locked with glowing red ones. "P-Peeves!"

Stopping, Peeves floated down closer to his friend and looked around, "What's wrong?"

Harry pointed to where the red eyes had just been, "You didn't see it?"

Peeves shook his head, "It's probably just your imagination. I come in here all the time and nothing ever bothers me."

Shaking a little, Harry gave a tiny nod and slowly resumed his walk. _These unicorns better be worth it._

Hearing another twig snap, Harry spun and looked behind him. "Did you hear that?"

Peeves huffed and floated down to him again, "Maybe you're too little to be in here. I can bring you again when your imagination isn't so wild - say, 17? Adults have a horrid imagination, they're so boring. You wouldn't be scared at 17. Come on, let's go."

CRACK!

Peeves froze and slowly floated in a circle around the little boy. "Maybe it isn't your imagination after all. Still, I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about. Come on though, I'll take you back to the sun."

Turning, Harry slowly followed Peeves in the direction they had come from. Half-way down the path a snarling, red-eyed wolf jumped out in front of them. Slobbering from hunger and eyeing the little boy with desire.

Harry screamed out in fear and tried to hide behind Peeves, only to realize Peeves is see-through: the wolf could just walk right through him! "Peeves, make it go away!"

Not knowing what else to do, Peeves let out a loud war cry and flew full speed at the snarling beast. He flew straight through it, barely even making it flinch.

As soon as the poltergeist was no longer near its prey, the wolf lunged, jaw open and slobbering, ready for its feast.

Harry let out a terrible scream and jumped to the side, just barely escaping the hungry jaws. He felt a burning sensation on his forearm but didn't waste time by looking down. Tears streamed down his face as he eyed the wolf wearily. _He's going to eat me!_

Peeves flew at the wolf again, this time using his powers to hurl a large stick at the beast. His aim was perfect! The stick hit the wolf straight across the face. It let out a terrible cry and took a hesitant step back. Peeves continued to scream at the wolf and hurl sticks and stones at it until the red-eyed beast backed away into the shadows. Peeves spun and looked at the terrified little boy. His eyes grew wide as he heard more twigs snapping behind them, "Run!"

Sobbing, Harry gripped his bleeding arm and ran for his life - terrified to look back. He could barely hear Peeves screaming and throwing rocks over the sound of his thundering heart. He broke through the safety barrier and kept running, not wanting to stop. He could hear Peeves flying after him, begging him to stop running but Harry couldn't even stop it he wanted to! His heart pounded painfully and his legs moved as if on their own accord. The tears streamed down his sticky face and between hopeless sobs, he gasped for air. He didn't know where he was running to, only that he had to keep going!

Seeing Pomona outside the greenhouses, he made a frantic bee-line towards her, too scared to look back and see the hungry wolf on his heels.

Reaching her, Harry hurried to hide behind her and finally took in a couple deep breaths, his body trembling with fear.

Concerned, Pomona slowly turned and knelt down to the sobbing boy. "What happened? What's wrong? Where did you go, Harry? I have been calling to you for over ten minutes!"

Taking in a shaky breath, Harry choked on a sob and looked toward the dark forest finally realizing that the wolf had never left the forest.

Frowning, Pomona followed Harry's puffy, red eyes and noticed Peeves awkwardly watching them from fifteen feet away, a look of guilt evident on his face. Looking back at the little boy, she wiped away a few tears and asked again, "Where were you, Harry?" Concerned that he might be hurt, she started checking him up and down. Her eyes when wide at the sight of his bleeding arm. she gently took the injured arm in her hands and asked, "How did this happen?"

Sniffling, Harry finally looked at his stinging arm and immediately his eyes re-filled with hot tears. "I don't know." _I don't know her, why dos she care about my boo-boo? Besides, what if I get in trouble?_

Pomona's frown turned into a stern look, "Young man you will tell me where you were and how you got that cut, now."

Harry fidgeted a little and shook his head, too afraid of getting himself and Peeves in trouble.

Leaving out an annoyed huff, Pomona snatched his uninjured arm and pulled him to the Infirmary.

Harry could feel his heart hammer away in his chest as Pomona forced him on a cot.

"Poppy!" Pomona called out as she worked on removing Harry's long sleeve shirt so Poppy could have a better view of the cut. She winced as she noticed the cut was still bleeding pretty bad. "Harry, how did this happen?!" _His parents are going to kill me!_

Harry kept his mouth shut, his eyes traveling to where Peeves floated near the Infirmary entrance.

Following his eyes, Pomona growled out at Peeves, "Get away! Go cause mischief elsewhere!"

Seeing the hurt look on his friends face as he turned and disappeared through the castle wall, Harry glared at the woman and pulled his injured arm away from her. "You don't have to be mean to him!"

Poppy interrupted before Pomona could reply, "This will sting a little, dearie. You can hold Pomona's hand if you want?" She waited until Harry prepared himself, she could tell he didn't want to hold Pomona's hand. "Did you contact his parents?"

Cursing under her breath, Pomona turned and disappeared into Poppy's office.

Now that she was gone, Poppy offered Harry a gentle smile and started cleaning the wound. "How did this happen, Harry?"

Wincing at the sting, Harry continued to remain silent.

Poppy remained patient. "Did you fall?" At Harry's jerky head shake, she kept asking questions. "Did you bump into something?" Again, Harry shook his head. "Did you lose a fight with your eating utensils?" She smiled triumphantly at Harry's amused look, obviously distracted from the sting of the medicine. Satisfied that it was clean, she turned and grabbed a jar of blue goo. "You did not come about this injury by picking daisies with Pomona, Harry."

Distracted by the Infirmary doors opening, Harry watched as his two concerned parents entered and hurried to his side.

"How did this happen?" Minerva questioned Poppy.

Scooping out a glump of blue good, Poppy slowly and gently spread it over the cut, spreading it thick and smooth. "He won't say; we have asked him about five times now."

Albus leveled his son with a stern look, "Harry, tell us what happened."

Pomona re-entered the Infirmary and leveled the boy with a soft glare, "I turned my back on him for ten minutes and he was gone! I called out to him and looked for him and then suddenly I heard him screaming and running toward me. That horrid Peeves was flying after him!"

"Did Peeves hurt you?" Albus questioned, already planning on how to ban the poltergeist.

Harry gave a hurried shake of his head, not wanting them to think bad about his friend. "No! He saved me!"

"Saved you from what, Harry?" Minerva pressed, slowly losing her patience.

The thought of the hungry beast caused fresh tears to appear in his eyes, "You'll be mad at me."

Poppy sighed, "Harry, I understand why that makes you not want to tell us but it is important that I know what caused this so I can make sure it heals the whole way and does not become infected."

Cringing, Harry dropped his eyes to his goo-covered arm and said, "Peeves and I went to look at the unicorns and there was a mean wolf!"

Minerva felt her heart rate speed up, "How did you get away?"

"Peeves protected me. He threw rocks and sticks at it and then told me to run."

Albus sighed, "Harry, you know going in there was dangerous, right?"

Harry dropped his eyes, "A little but I knew Peeves would protect me."

"What could have happened if he failed, Harry?" Albus questioned.

Sniffling, Harry watched as Poppy waved her wand over the goo-covered area. "I could have gotten really hurt."

Albus nodded in agreement, "You are never to go into the forest again, am I understood?"

With his head down, he gave a tiny nod of his head, "I understand."

Albus sighed softly, wondering if Harry truly understood the dangers he willingly put himself in. "I'm really disappointed in your actions, Harry James."

Harry felt his heart grow heavier and he kept his eyes locked on his trembling hands. "You're disappointed in me?"

Gently, Albus reached over and lifted the little boy's face so he was looking into the tear-filled emerald eyes, "I am not disappointed in you, son. I am disappointed in your actions."

Harry gave a tiny shake of his head, "I don't understand the difference."

"Your actions do not define you, Harry. People make mistakes all the time. The mistake you made tonight was extremely dangerous though, as we already discussed."

Harry sniffled, trying to drop his eyes again. Looking into the disappointed blue eyes made him feel horrible! "I'm really sorry. I won't ever go in there again, I promise!"

"I expect you to keep that promise, Harry." Once Harry gave a hurried nod of his head, Albus said, "I forgive you, little one." Opening his arms, he waited for Harry to hug him and then he placed a small kiss to the top of his unruly hair. After the hug ended, he patted Harry's back gently and turned him to face Pomona, "You have one more person to apologize to, Harry." He gave him a tiny nudge toward the woman.

With his eyes glued to the floor, Harry slowly moved to stand in front of Pomona, shame burning his cheeks. "I'm sorry I left without asking. I know better than to go off without an adult. I'm really sorry if I scared you."

Kneeling down, Pomona gently tapped his chin and offered him a soft smile when her eyes connected with his, "Do you think you have learned a lesson?" When Harry nodded, she questioned, "What is the lesson, Harry?"

Nibbling on his bottom lip, Harry whispered, "That dad said I couldn't go off without an adult because I'm too little. It's dangerous."

Pomona nodded, "Your daddy does not give rules unless there is a reason behind them. Until you can protect yourself from dangerous things you need to follow any rule he gives you, alright?"

Harry nodded, "Yes ma'am."

Pomona smiled, "Good. How about next time you help me with watering, eh?"

Nodding, Harry gave her a quick hug and then hurried back to Albus' side.

Looking toward the clock, Poppy gave a tiny nod and pointed to the cot, "Please sit back down, Harry. It's time to wipe off the goo."

Harry hurried to follow her directions. He watched in awe as she took a warm wash cloth and wiped the blue goo off his arm. His eyes grew wide in surprise as he noticed that the cut was completely gone, not even a scar was left! "Wow!"

Poppy chuckled softly, "That is the miracle of potions, dear boy. How are you feeling? Better, correct?" At Harry's nod, she helped him hop off the cot, "Then you are free to go."

"Thank you, Poppy," Minerva gently took Harry's hand and led him into the corridor.

Albus took his other hand when they started walking, "What do you want to do when we get home?"

Harry bit his bottom lip and looked up at him, "Do you promise you're no longer mad?"

Albus patted his small hand and nodded, "I promise."

"Do you want to make crafts?" Minerva asked.

Harry gave a tiny shake of his head, "I need to make sure Peeves is alright. Will you take me to him?"

Minerva frowned and glanced at Albus. "I'm sure Peeves is fine, Harry. He's a poltergeist, after all."

Harry shook his head, "I know he can't get hurt but his feelings can get hurt. Pomona was mean to him and he's my friend. I need to make sure he's okay and not sad."

Albus looked down at him, proud of how kind he is. "Harry I am glad that you are a kind hearted friend but you know how I feel about you befriending Peeves."

Harry frowned, "He's not bad."

"He took you into the forest even though he knew there were dangers in there," Minerva pointed out.

Albus nodded, "And I know he protected you but the fact of the matter is, he knew he was putting you in danger."

Harry's frown deepened, "He's my friend."

"Let's go home, Harry. When we get there I will get you a snack and call for Peeves. You can make sure he is alright but then I am going to have a word with him," Albus explained.

Harry winced, "Is he in trouble?"

Smirking, Albus nodded, leading the way home. "Yes he is."

Cringing, Harry remained silent for the rest of the walk home. As soon as they entered the house he hurried to the living room and flopped down on the couch, waiting patiently for his father to call for Peeves.

He twiddled his thumbs and jumped off the couch to pace a couple times; his patience starting to thin. When Peeves finally flew in through the wall, he hurried to his side and studied his face, "Are you alright? I'm sorry she was mean to you."

Peeves waved off his apologies, "I'm fine. Are YOU alright? You're the one hurt! I'm sorry I took you in there, I shouldn't have done that."

"You're right, Peeves, you should not have done that. You are old enough to know right from wrong. Thank you for protecting him but my concern is that he should not have needed protection in the first place," Albus said from the doorway.

A guilty look grew on Peeves face, "I'm really sorry, Harry."

Harry shrugged, "It's okay."

Albus sighed, "It's not okay, Harry." Giving Peeves a serious look, he added, "Harry adores you and wants to be your friend. If I allow this I need to make sure he will be safe around you. You cannot put him in danger. If you care about him, you will look out for him."

Harry's face lit up, "Does that mean we can still be friends?"

Albus gave a small nod, "As long as Peeves agrees to my rules, you may."

Harry turned to look at Peeves, an expectant look on his face.

Peeves flew closer to Albus and tried to look serious. "I promise, sir, I won't ever put him in danger again. Thank you for letting us be friends. . . I don't have any others. I will protect him to the best of my ability at all times and will help him any time he needs."

Albus smiled softly, "That is all I ask for. I do not want the two of you hanging out outside anymore though, understand?"

Both gave quick nods of their heads.

"Yes sir," Harry felt as if his face was going to go numb from smiling so hard. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Harry. Now, how about those crafts?" Albus' eyes twinkled as he thought about all the cool things they could make.

Smiling, Harry and Peeves hurried after him and Minerva into the kitchen, eager to start.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading!**

 **Savoren.**


	12. Luna Lovegood

**Chapter Twelve:**

 **Luna Lovegood**

 **A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I hope you like this chapter :)**

 **I am hoping to have this story completed within the next three chapters (not counting this one). There will be a sequel to this story where Harry and Severus are 11 and starting classes so keep an eye out for it!**

 **Savoren.**

The weekend came quickly for the two six-year olds and, much to their excitement, Zachary left to retrieve Luna about ten minutes ago.

Minerva couldn't help but smile as she watched the boys fidget with excitement. "Remember, when she arrives, I do not want you going outside without adult supervision. Also before you ask, Peeves does not count as an adult."

Albus nodded in agreement, "Also remember that Luna is not as old as the two of you - she is a year younger so no rough housing."

Severus nodded in understanding, "I don't like rough housing anyway. Do you think she will like I Spy books?"

Harry rolled his eyes, "Your idea of fun is boring."

Severus glared at him and snapped, "No! You're boring!"

"Boys, stop arguing this instant or you will not be going anywhere," Minerva told them sternly.

Both immediately dropped their heads and muttered their apologies. They watched as their parents left the room to gather up a couple last-minute things for the day.

When Severus raised his head, he noticed Max laying limply on Harry's lap, "You can't take Max with you if you want her to be your friend, Harry."

Harry frowned and pulled Max closer to his chest. "Why won't she be my friend because of Max? He's never done anything to her."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Do you want her to think you're a baby? Leave Max here today, Harry."

Harry eyed Max closely and nibbled on the bottom of his lip. "Will you be okay if you stay in bed today Max?" He waited a second and then gave a small nod of his head, "Thanks, Max." Standing, he hurried to their bedroom and gently placed Max on his bed.

"Harry! We need to leave for breakfast, we are already going to be late," Minerva called from the kitchen.

Making sure Max was comfortable, Harry ran to the door and stopped, turning to look at Max once more before closing the door behind himself. When he reached the kitchen he noticed Severus give him a thumbs up. Harry couldn't help but feel like his heart ached a little.

"Are you ready to leave for breakfast?" Albus questioned. When both nodded, he asked, "Teeth and hair brushed?"

Harry blushed softly, "I didn't brush my hair."

"Yeah, I can tell," Severus told him with a smirk.

Minerva sighed as she accio'd a hairbrush and started fixing Harry's messy hair. "Severus, use kind words please." _We are definitely going to be late._

Severus rolled his eyes when neither parent was looking and impatiently waited for his mother to stop brushing through Harry's rats nest.

"Alright, are we ready now?" Albus asked when he watched Minerva banish the hairbrush back to the loo.

When everyone nodded, Albus led the way out into the hallway. His leadership only lasted for a tiny bit before Harry started hopping away and then Severus followed in his lead.

"I wish I had that much energy still,"Albus told Minerva as he watched Harry hopping further down the corridor and Severus practically prancing.

"Dear, our energy left many years ago." When she noticed the boys were almost around a corner, she called out to stop them from going further. "Boys, calm down. You are going to tire yourselves out before we even get to breakfast," Minerva explained.

Harry stopped hopping and slowed to a walk. He turned to look at his adopted mother and asked, "Do you think she will be here for breakfast?"

Albus gave a small, amused shake of his head. "No, Harry. Professor Reynes is taking his niece out for breakfast. They will probably arrive shortly after we are finished with breakfast."

Harry sighed sadly, "Okay. . ."

"Why are you excited anyway? She won't like you; you're too lame. I will become her best friend, not you," Severus whispered snidely as he watched his parents come closer to them.

Harry glared at him and snapped in a quiet voice, "I'll be her best friend because no one likes buttheads."

Severus clenched his fists and growled, "Say that one more time, I dare you!"

Harry smirked. Trusting that Severus would not actually hit him since the adults were getting close. Harry muttered, "Butthead."

Catching Severus as he lunged at his brother, Albus easily puled him away and landed a firm swat against his bottom. "You need to think carefully before acting, Severus Tobias. Did you honestly think you could get away with attacking your brother?"

Severus clenched his jaw, "He's _not_ my brother!"

Hurt, Harry looked away and tried to tune them out.

Seeing the expression on Harry's face, Minerva went over to comfort him.

Albus leveled Severus with a disappointed look, "He is your brother, Severus. You need to start accepting him."

Severus glared at his father, "I don't want to! We were perfectly fine without him! It's not fair!"

Kneeling down, Albus gently took Severus and pulled him closer. He whispered, "Have you even given him a chance?"

Severus tried to look away but found he couldn't look away from the blue eyes.

"Answer honestly, son," Albus pushed.

Severus sighed, "We get along every once in a while. . ."

Albus nodded, "And that's good but since you have to deal with each other for the rest of your lives, you both need to start trying to get along more often. I have complete faith in you, Severus. I _know_ you can figure out how to get along with your brother."

Severus looked away from the twinkling blue eyes, "Okay. . . I'll try harder."

Albus smiled and pulled him into a hug, "That's my boy!" Leaving him go, Albus asked, "Why did you try to attack Harry?"

Severus glared at the floor, "He called me a butthead."

Albus sighed softly, "And why did he call you a butthead?"

Severus bit his lip.

"Did you call him something first?" Albus questioned when he noticed the guilty look on his son's face.

Keeping his eyes down, Severus gave a small nod. "Yes, sir."

"What did you call him?" Albus kept his voice gentle so the boy wouldn't clam up.

Feeling his eyes start to burn, Severus kept his eyes locked on the floor. "I called him lame and said Luna won't be his best friend."

Giving a small nod, Albus motioned for Harry to come to him. Once he had both boys in front of him, he explained, "It was very wrong of the both of you to call each other mean names. I expect better from you boys. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Harry dropped his eyes, his heart suddenly feeling very heavy.

Knowing what his father wanted to hear, Severus whispered, "I'm sorry dad."

Albus gave a small shake of his head, "Thank you, Severus. But I want you to apologize to each other. Harry, I expect you to apologize."

Glancing up from the floor, Harry felt tears starting in his emerald eyes, "Yes sir." Turning to face his brother, Harry whispered, "I'm sorry for calling you a butthead."

Trying his best to act the way his father expects of him, Severus went out of his comfort zone and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy.

Shocked that he was being hugged, Harry barely heard when Severus apologized to him for calling him lame and for saying he wasn't his brother.

When the boy remained silent, Albus asked, "Do you accept his apology, Harry?"

Feeling Severus leave him out of the hug, Harry gave a quick nod, "I do." He glanced to his adoptive father and felt his eyes burn with fresh tears, _He probably wants to give me back. Why am I always bad?_

Albus frowned, "What's wrong, son?"

Harry felt his bottom lip start to quiver and he tried to look away only to feel a hand gently pull him into a hug.

Severus awkwardly walked over to stand with his mother, giving Harry space.

"Harry, please tell me what is wrong," Albus pushed.

Feeling a tear leak out and roll down his face, Harry whispered, "Do you want to take me back to my relatives?"

Confused, Albus gave a quick shake of his head, "Of course not, Harry. Why would you think that?"

Sniffling, Harry dropped his eyes, "I'm bad."

Wiping away a stray tear, Albus made sure he was looking in Harry's eyes before saying, "You are not bad, son. Sometimes you make poor choices but that does not mean that you, as a person, are bad. Do you understand, son?"

Harry gave a teary nod, "Yes sir."

Opening his arms, Albus offered him a hug. He smiled when Harry eagerly hugged him. When they broke free from the hug, Albus stood and looked at his sons, "Are we ready to join breakfast?"

Harry followed his family into the Great Hall and immediately dropped his eyes to the floor, shivering. He could feel the eyes of the students on them as they made their way to the front of the Great Hall. _I hate being stared at!_

Once they were seated, Minerva and Albus immediately started filling Harry and Severus' plates with breakfast foods. When they finished taking care of them, they filled their own plates.

"Have a late start of the day?" Poppy asked from down the table.

Albus nodded, "Yeah." He didn't say anything more, not wanting to put the boys in a embarrassing situation.

"Please start eating," Minerva whispered to Harry. She could tell he was uncomfortable.

Severus, unlike Harry, started devouring his food like a starved animal. When his plate was empty, he sighed in satisfaction and leaned back in his seat. "I want Luna to get here now."

Albus slowly stirred his hot coffee and gave a small smirk, "Patience is a virtue, dear boy."

Severus groaned, "I don't even know what that means! I want her to come now!"

"It means that you need to stop complaining and wait patiently for Luna to arrive or you will spend some alone time in your bedroom," Minerva reprimanded him quietly.

Glaring at the top of the table, Severus clamped his mouth shut and pouted silently.

Satisfied that he was no longer being loud, Minerva continued eating. Glancing at Harry's plate, she realized that he barely touched the food. "Harry, if you want to play with Luna you need to eat at least half of your plate and drink all of your milk. Do you understand?"

Sighing, Harry gave a tiny nod and picked his fork back up.

After a good fifteen minutes, Harry's plate was finally empty. He glanced at his mum for approval. She gave a nod and then pointed to the glass of milk, "Drink your milk, Harry. Severus, drink your milk as well please."

Severus curled his nose in disgust, "I don't like milk, mum. Can't I have water or pumpkin juice?"

Minerva rubbed her temples, slowly losing patience with him. "Have you ever been allowed to drink pumpkin juice for breakfast? Milk is good for you, it helps your bones stay strong. Drink half of the glass and then I will give you water."

When Severus grumbled under his breath, Albus could tell Minerva's patience was becoming very thin. "Severus Tobius, do I need to take you out into the corridor?" At his quick shake of his head, Albus continued, "Then you need to get your act together. Am I clear?"

Severus gave a sad nod of his head and grabbed the glass of milk, downing it as fast as he could. When it was empty he handed it to his mum and waited for her to give him water. "Thank you."

A note popped in front of Albus fifteen minutes later. The note was from Zachary telling him that they were at his office and the boys may come anytime.

Albus glanced at his sons to make sure their plates and cups were empty. Satisfied, he looked to Minerva and asked, "Do you think they have behaved enough to meet Luna now?"

Minerva glanced at them, "Oh, I don't know." She gave a small smile when they got panicked looks on their faces. "I'm only kidding, boys. You may go but I expect you to act better than you have been this morning. Am I understood?" At their nods, she continued, "You will listen to Professor Reynes and not disobey him." Once they seemed like they understood, Minerva looked at Albus and nodded, "You may take them. I need to go to my office and grade a few assignments."

Harry and Severus followed their father to Professor Reynes' office. When they arrived at the door, both boys suddenly felt a little shy. They held back and stayed behind their father's long legs.

Moving his hand away from the door, Albus refrained from knocking and turned to face his children. "What is wrong, boys? Just a moment ago you were excited to meet her."

Harry and Severus dropped their eyes.

Albus frowned softly. Suddenly an idea came to his mind, "You are not scared, are you?"

Just like he expected, Severus raised his determined eyes and gave a hard shake of his head. "I'm not scared! Are you scared, Harry?"

Harry gave a small, hesitant shake of his head.

Satisfied, Severus looked at his father. "See? We're not scared."

With a small smile, Albus turned back around and knocked on the door.

Zachary opened the door seconds later, a big smile on his face. He had hoped the boys hadn't caused trouble this morning and lost their privilege of coming to see Luna; she has been bouncing up and down at meeting them all day. "Do come in," Zachary opened his office door and walked back to stand next to his suddenly fidgeting niece. To his surprise, he felt her immediately cling to the back of his trousers and hide her face. Zachary frowned and gently moved her so she was standing in front of him. He placed both of his hands on her shoulders as a gentle reminder that she wasn't alone.

Albus gently pushed the two boys closer to Luna, "Introduce yourselves."

Realizing she was shy like himself, Harry gave her a small smile and introduced himself. "Hi. I'm Harry. I like your pigtails."

She smiled and gave her blonde hair a small bounce, "They're fun to play with."

Severus held out his hand to shake hers. "I'm Severus. You know, I'm not sure why they call that hair style pigtails because pigs only have one tail and you're obviously a human."

Albus and Zachary exchanged amused looks.

Luna gave a small shrug of her shoulders and looked back at Harry. "I'm Luna."

Severus smirked, "We know."

Satisfied that everything was going to go smoothly, Albus walked toward the door. "Alright. I am going to leave now. Behave for Professor Reynes, alright?" He stopped when he reached the door and turned to give his sons a stern look.

Both gave quick nods of their heads and then Albus left.

"Alright, kids. I have some paperwork and essays to grade. Why don't the three of you go play hide and seek?"

Severus rolled his eyes, "That's a child's game!"

Zachary smirked and patted the top of Severus' head, "Well, it's a good thing you are a child then, huh?"

Severus groaned softly as he watched Professor Reynes disappear into his office.

A few seconds later Zachary popped his head out of the office and eyed them closely, "I forgot to tell you the rules. I want you to stay on the first floor only. Do _not_ go outside nor into any personal quarters. Do you agree with my terms?" He waited until everyone said yes and then he disappeared back into his office.

"How do we decide who is the finder?" Harry asked in a quiet voice. He felt a little embarrassed for never playing before.

Luna smiled at him to make him feel more comfortable.

"Eenie meanie mynei moe, obviously," Severus said in an annoyed voice.

Luna immediately pulled Harry's hand in to join theirs and started saying the rhyme. When she ended, she landed on Severus.

Severus sighed, "Go hide."

Luna and Harry immediately ran off down the corridors until the reached the moving staircases.

"I bet he won't ever find us on the third floor," Luna said with a smirk.

Harry bit the bottom of his lip as he looked at the staircases. "I don't know, Luna. . . We aren't supposed to leave the first floor, remember?"

Luna sighed and barely resisted rolling her eyes at him. "How will he even find out? Don't be a chicken, Harry. I bet Severus would have gone with me."

Harry let out a tiny groan but followed her up the stairs anyway. "Where are we going to hide? Have you ever been up here before?"

Luna ignored his second question and pointed at a huge statue half-way down the corridor. "Let's hide there!"

She ran off and Harry had to sprint to keep up with her.

When they reached the statue, they sat down behind the statue and had a quiet conversation. They talked about everything and anything. Luna learned about the muggle world and Harry learned about Luna's crazy, neglectful family.

After five minutes of silence, Luna whispered, "Are you nervous for the trial?"

Harry frowned and looked over at her, "What trial are you talking about?"

Luna scrunched her forehead and studied him, "The one that's on Monday! I've been hearing my parents talk about it when they read the Daily Prophet at breakfast." When Harry still looked confused, Luna explained further, "The trial for your aunt and uncle?"

Harry shook his head, a deep frown plastered on his face. "I don't know anything about a trial."

Frowning, Luna glanced away from him, "Why would your parents hide something like that from you?"

Glaring off into the distance, Harry grumbled, "I don't know but I'll find out."

"I'm sorry if I upset you, Harry," Luna whispered.

Harry gave a small shrug of his shoulders, "I just don't like secrets - especially when they are about me."

Luna nodded, "Yeah, I understand that." Changing the subject, Luna said, "Severus is taking forever to find us! Do you think he is even looking?"

Harry allowed the change of subject and cracked a small smile, "He probably got distracted by a book."

Luna giggled, "Yeah, probably."

Hearing footsteps coming toward the statue they were hiding behind, they held their breath and hoped Severus didn't find them.

"Alright you two, come out. Hide and seek is over."

With wide eyes, Luna stood and came out to face her uncle. "How did you find us?"

Zachary leveled her with a stern look. "The Point-Me spell. Did I say you could hide on the third floor?"

Dropping her eyes, she mumbled, "First floor only. . ."

Zachary crossed his arms, his stern look growing even more stern. "Harry James, come out from behind the statue." He waited until Harry appeared before saying, "If you knew the rules, why would you blatantly disobey me?"

Knowing Harry was probably too nervous, Luna continued to answer her uncle. "It slipped our minds."

Zachary sighed, "Do you honestly think that is a good excuse?"

Biting the bottom of her lip, Luna dropped her eyes. "No sir."

"I didn't think so either. You will be going to bed an hour early tonight for disobeying me. Harry, I will be informing your parents. For now, come. We have a math lesson to attend to. I already took Severus home."

Both groaned, dreading the math lesson. They followed Zachary to an unused classroom.

Pointing to two front desks, Zachary instructed them, "Take a seat." While they sat, Zachary pulled two pieces of parchment and two quills out of his bag. He then placed those in front of the two children. "Are you ready?" At their nods, Zachary grabbed a piece of chalk from his bag and turned to the chalkboard. He drew five flying bats and then turned to face the bored-looking kids. "Alright, count how many bats are on the chalkboard. Write your answer on the parchment I gave you."

Harry sighed, _I know how to count. How stupid does he think I am?_ Writing a five on the parchment, Harry picked it up to show him.

Looking at both parchments, Zachary smiled and nodded his head, "Great job! Alright, so, if I erase two bats," Turning, he erased two flying bats off the board and then turned back to face them. "Now how many flying bats are on the board?" He waited until they wrote their answers and then smiled when he saw the correct answer, "Fantastic!"

Turning to the board, Zachary erased the bats and drew sixteen pumpkins. "How many pumpkins are on the board?"

Harry frowned at how many there were. He got to twelve and paused, glancing over at Luna's parchment he realized she too was stumped.

Zachary gave a small nod. He knew Luna wasn't going to be able to count to sixteen. He only just started the math lessons with her a couple weeks ago after he found out her parents weren't helping her. "That's alright!" He proceeded to slowly count each pumpkin and said every number to twenty. He had them repeat it and then write out a number line on their parchment.

After a while, Harry started to zone out, completely and utterly bored.

"Harry, pay attention; you're daydreaming. If you want to get better at math then you need to take these lessons seriously," Zachary reprimanded.

Harry sighed softly, "I hate math. It's easy to get distracted if you hate something."

Luna bit her lip and glanced at her friend. "Are you thinking about the trial still?"

Surprised, Zachary snapped his head back and forth between the children. "How did either of you find out about the trial?"

Harry glared at him, "You knew?"

Luna talked over Harry in an attempt to keep him out of trouble, "I overheard my parents talking about it. And I didn't know Harry didn't know. I asked him about it. . ."

Zachary sighed deeply, "Luna Marie, we will discuss your actions later - you know better than to eavesdrop."

Luna gave a quick shake of her head. "No! They said it at the table during breakfast! I didn't eavesdrop, I swear!"

Zachary groaned softly, _How many times do I need to tell them not to discuss events from the Daily Prophet in front of her? It's no wonder she is so anxious all the time and will not sleep without a night light! I wish they were better parents for her; they're always cooped away in their offices working on their hobbies._

Luna frowned, "What did I say?"

Zachary gave a small shake of his head, "When did you start eating as a family again?"

"Oh, it's only for breakfast. I still eat lunch and supper with Malikhi," Luna gave a small shrug of her shoulders.

Harry frowned, "Do you have a brother?"

Luna shook her head, "No. Malikhi is a house elf - he's also my nanny."

Zachary rolled his eyes, _She should not need a nanny. Her parents should just start taking care of her by themselves. I'm going to need to have another discussion with them._

"Why do you have a nanny?" Harry asked.

Luna looked away, her face dropping slightly. "My parents say they are too busy. But at least I get to come here every weekend! It's amazing," Luna flashed him a smile. "We eat all meals together, go on adventures and he teaches me things!"

Zachary felt his heart break a little, _Those are things anyone that loves you should do._

Changing the subject away from herself, Luna turned to her uncle and asked, "What are we doing next?"

Zachary checked their number lines and then returned to the chalk board. He drew twenty galleons and had them write down how many there were, then he added four galleons and asked how many there were now.

Luna groaned, "We only made our number lines to twenty."

Zachary nodded, "I know. I bet you can figure it out though." He watched them as they studied their number lines for a few minutes and then Harry shyly raised his hand, "What do you think it is, Harry?"

Nibbling on his bottom lip, Harry dropped and eyes and asked, "Is it twenty-four?"

Zachary clapped proudly, "Well done, Harry! How did you find the answer?"

Feeling uncomfortable, Harry shifted his weight in the seat, "W-well, some of the numbers are always there. Like, 1 and 11. or 2 and 12. Once you get passed 10, the second number is the same as it was before. So I figured the first number changes after ten numbers. Is that right?" He kept his eyes down, scared of being wrong.

Zachary smiled, "That's very good, Harry. I'm proud of you!"

Hearing the praise, Harry quickly looked up and cracked a small smile.

They continued the math lesson for another half an hour before Zachary decided they had worked on math long enough. "Alright, Harry. It is time to take you home," Zachary told him as he put away the lesson supplies.

Harry sighed softly, knowing trouble was probably waiting for him at home. "Can I just stay and keep playing with Luna?"

Zachary gave him a small smile, "No, Harry. You need to go home and spend some time with your parents and brother. After a little while we will see you for lunch, okay?"

Harry gave a small nod of his head, "Okay."

Knowing the boy was nervous, Zachary patted his back and walked him home. During the walk to the quarters Zachary made sure to tell him funny stories in an attempt to distract him.

They arrived at the mahogany door and Zachary knocked, waiting for Albus or Minerva to open the door. He didn't have to wait long before the door swung open and Minerva looked out. When she saw who it was she opened the door the rest of the way.

"Thank you for bringing him home. I promise he will be better behaved for you when you see him later," She leveled Harry with a disappointed look and watched as he dropped his head in shame.

Zachary gently pushed Harry into the quarters and gave Minerva a smile, "You're welcome."

Minerva nodded goodbye and then closed the door and turned to face her son. "Go into the living room and put your nose against the wall. I need to go check on Severus." She waited until he was where he needed to be before going to the boys' bedroom and checking on Severus. Not surprisingly, he was still messing with his books on the bookshelf. Satisfied that he was okay, Minerva returned to the living room and gave Albus a tired look. "You may turn around now, Harry."

Taking the cue, Albus stood from his spot of the couch. "Harry James, did you make a good or a bad choice today?" At Harry's glare, he asked, "Why would you disobey Professor Reynes? If you cannot follow his rules, I will not allow you to go there anymore," Albus firmly reprimanded.

Harry gave him a deadly glare and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't care! Why wouldn't you tell me about the trial?!"

Caught off guard, Albus sat down on the couch and motioned for him to come sit beside him. Once Harry was seated, he asked, "How did you find out about the trial?"

Harry glared at him, "Not by you! Luna told me."

Albus frowned, "We were waiting until Sunday to tell you. We did not want you to work yourself up over it."

Minerva nodded in agreement, "We thought it was best if you did not know until closer to time."

Harry continued to glare, "Can you tell me about it now?"

"We did not take you to the other trials because we were told not to. We are only taking you to this last trial so you have closure," Minerva explained.

"How do you know they won't go free?" Harry asked in a meek voice, his anger completely forgotten about.

"Harry, child abuse and neglect is a severe offense. They are being trialed in the wizarding world since they mistreated a wizard. In the wizarding world child abuse is treated just like murder. Trust me, son, there is no way they will go free," Albus assured him.

Harry bit his bottom lip and asked, "But isn't there a chance?"

Albus shook his head, "No, son. They will spend twenty to fifty years in the wizarding prison, Azkaban."

Once Harry seemed more assured, Minerva called, "Severus please come here."

Once Severus came out of the bedroom they sat him down beside his brother. "Severus, you have two choices. You may either come to trial with us on Monday or stay here with Professor Reynes. I have already spoken with him and he said he would watch you if that is your decision."

Severus looked from his mother to his brother and nibbled the bottom of his lip. He eyed Harry closely, "Do you want me to go with you?"

Albus and Minerva exchanged proud smiles and waited for Harry's response.

Harry dropped his eyes, "I don't want to bother you, Severus."

Severus rolled his eyes, "You're only bothering me now because you're not answering my question. If I am offering that means it's not a bother."

Harry looked up and gave a tiny crack of a smile, "Are you sure?"

Severus sighed, "Can you just say yes or no?"

Harry nodded, "Please come with me."

Feeling a little honored that Harry would want him, Severus hid his smile behind a smirk, "Thanks for finally answering."

"Alright then. It is set! When we arrive at the Ministry of Magic the two of you will be escorted to a playroom until it is time for the verdict to be announced. At that time, you will be escorted back down into the court room and sit between your father and I," Minerva explained.

"Will we be alone in the playroom?" Severus questioned with a small amount of fear in his voice. He definitely hates being without an adult in new, creepy places!

Albus shook his head, "Of course not. Arthur Weasley already signed up to watch you while the trial takes place."

Severus let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

"Have we answered all of your questions, boys?" Albus asked.

Harry gave a tiny nod of his head, remaining silent but Severus gave a quick shake of his head, "Can we go out for lunch afterwards and get ice cream?"

Minerva and Albus exchanged amused looks and then nodded their heads. "I believe we can manage that."

Jumping for joy, Severus ran back to his bedroom to keep arranging his books in alphabetical order.

Harry let out a tiny sigh, "Will it be safe?"

Albus and Minerva sat down on the couch so Harry was between them.

"Of course it will be safe, dear. There will be guards and Aurors all over the court room. Besides, no one wants to mess with either your father or I," Minerva reassured him.

Harry gave a nod and slouched a little on the couch. "When this is over will we be a true family?"

Minerva frowned, "Oh honey! What do you mean? We are already a family."

Harry shrugged, "Am I your real son even though you adopted me?"

Albus nodded, "You are our real son, Harry, and that is never going to change."

Sighing softly, Harry slouched against his mother and closed his eyes. "Okay."

Minerva left him sleep for a half an hour and then gently woke him up. "It's time for lunch, dear."

Rubbing his eyes, Harry slowly sat and immediately blushed when he realized he had fallen asleep on her. "I'm sorry."

Taking his hand, Minerva gave it a light squeeze, "You don't have to be sorry for falling asleep, Harry."

Severus practically ran into the room, "Dad just said we were going on a picnic with Professor Reynes and Luna!"

Albus chuckled as he came into the room, "I wouldn't really call it a picnic, Severus. You're eating lunch on the roof of the astronomy tower. He already went up and set up safety bounds and created a warming charm so you do not get a chill from the wind."

Harry forced his jaw to not drop, "Woah!"

Severus nodded his head with excitement, "Yeah! Even better than a normal picnic!"

Albus chuckled again and gave a small shake of his head, "Alright, get ready or you will be late."

They followed their follow to the roof of the astronomy tower and then watched him leave.

On the floor of the astronomy tower Zachary had laid down a blanket and beside the blanket sat a basket filled with food.

"Wow! It's so cool up here!" Harry exclaimed.

Severus nibbled on the bottom of his lip as he looked around, _This seems a little familiar. . ._

Zachary nodded and motioned for them to join them on the blanket. "Yes it is. However, do not try to come up here without an adult. There are safety wards on the doors that will only let you on the roof if you are old enough to take the astronomy class or if there is an adult accompanying you." He changed the subject, "What do you want for lunch? The house elves made sandwiches, pasta, chicken, pork, vegetables, watermelon, potatoes and even chicken noodle soul."

Harry's eyes went wide, "How would that fit in that small basket?"

Zachary smiled and started pulling out the contents, "Magic, Harry."

Harry's eyes kept getting bigger as he watched all the food come out and then a pitcher of water and pumpkin juice. "Wow!"

Luna giggled, "I love magic."

Zachary smiled and started handed out the food and pouring drinks.

The picnic only lasted about an hour before Zachary started cleaning everything up. "Alright. We need to have our reading lesson now. Severus, do you want to come?"

Severus nodded, "Can I read some of your potions books?"

Zachary smiled and gave a nod of his head, "Of course you can." He led them to his classroom and started getting prepared. The children all took their seats at the front of the room.

Once the reading supplies were out, Zachary went and grabbed a potions book for Severus to read. Once Severus was settled with the book, Zachary pulled out two bright blue quills. Handing them to Harry and Luna, he first made sure they knew how to hold the quill properly. Then he had them trace the alphabet in capital and lower case letters. When they finished that, Zachary pushed a small button on the two quills and wrote sentences on their parchments. "I want you to first trace the letters in the sentence. Do not be alarmed, these quills are specifically made to help young readers. When you trace each letter the quill will say what letter it is and sound it out for you. You will then have to repeat the sound and say what letter it is. Then, when you finish a word, the quill will sound the word out and say what it is. Again, you will repeat the sound and say what the letter is. After you finish a sentence, the quill will do the same thing and you will repeat the process. Do you have any questions?"

At their head shakes, Zachary set them to work. When they finished one sentence, he would write another. He wrote three more sentences and then wrote a paragraph.

Zachary sat back and watched them work on the paragraph, he couldn't help but feel proud. Harry even started saying the sounds and words before the quill would say it. Zachary also noticed though that Harry sometimes writes the letters backwards. He moved his attention from Harry to his niece and was immediately reminded of his disappointment in her parents.

 _If they would work with her, she wouldn't be having this problem. I'm going to need to up her lessons to more often every weekend, she's still struggling with remembering what some of the letters sound like. She will get it though, I know she will. She just needs a little more help and encouragement. Unfortunately, she will only be getting those two things from me._

He waited until they both finished their paragraphs before standing and stretching his back. "Alright kids, I think we have done enough for the day. Why don't you go play while I hold a detention with a student?" Zachary asked while he banished all the reading supplies away and prepared his classroom for a detention.

"What can we do?" Luna asked.

Zachary sighed, "Just go out into the corridor and play duck-duck goose or something."

They left the room and stopped out in the corridor. Luna crossed her arms over her chest and whispered, "I hate that game, it's so boring."

"I don't know what it is," Harry admitted quietly.

Severus sighed, "You don't know anything."

Luna glared at him, "Don't be a bully, Severus!"

Severus changed the subject, "So if we aren't going to run around in circles and hit each others heads, what are we going to do?"

Luna smiled mischievously, "Let's go for a walk outside!"

Harry bit hit lip and glanced at Severus. He too looked unsure about this plan. Unsure about whether he should disagree with her or not, Harry said in a nervous voice, "That's not a good choice."

Luna frowned, "What does that mean?"

Noticing Harry was very uncomfortable, Severus answered for him. "Our dad says that we make good choices or bad choices. Bad choices causes trouble."

Luna sighed, "Do you always do what your father says? My father never gives me rules."

Severus forced himself to not roll his eyes, "We don't always follow the rules but then we get in trouble. Your dad might not give you rules but your uncle does and you respect him, right?" At her nod, Severus smirked, "Then it's final, we are not going outside and if you decide that you are, I'm telling."

Luna glared at him, "I wouldn't tattle on you!"

Severus shrugged, "Well I would." _Why do I always feel like I'm twenty years older than these two? Harry and I are the same age and yet it feels like he's still a baby!_

With an annoyed groan, Luna asked, "Then what are we going to do?"

Severus shrugged, "We can play tag?"

Harry felt his heart drop, _I don't know ANY of these games. Why am I so stupid?_

Seeing his brother's sad face, Severus added, "There is one person that is "it" and the others run around and try to get away from them so they don't get tagged and become "it". I will go first. When I count to three, start running."

Luna and Harry ran off, laughing as Severus attempted to catch up with them.

* * *

Zachary found them an hour and a half later. He stood in the shadows and stayed silent, watching on with an amused smile as Harry ran after Luna and Severus, attempting to catch one of them. All three were laughing, their faces bright red. Once Harry finally tagged Luna, Zachary stepped out from the shadows. "Playtime is over. It is time for supper."

Harry frowned, "Already?"

Zachary smirked, "Yes, already. Time flies when you're having fun. Come on, go to the loo and wash up. Once you are done I will walk everyone to the Great Hall." Once everyone returned from cleaning up, Zachary walked them to the Great Hall.

Pulling the chair out for Luna to sit down, Zachary turned to Albus and Minerva. "Harry is doing very well in both math and reading. He will just need to keep practicing." Pulling out the magical quill, he handed it to Minerva, "Make him use this when he practices reading."

Minerva smiled, "Thank you so much for helping him, Zachary."

Zachary smiled and waved her thanks away, "I love helping them. They all are going to grow up to be magnificent adults."

Albus chuckled, "Let's not wish away their childhood too quickly."

Zachary smirked, "True, true. I do have one concern about Harry though." When he had their attention, he said, "I think he might have Dyslexia. He continuously wrote some of the letters backwards."

Overhearing their conversation, Poppy called down the table, "I can check if you send the lad here."

Minerva nodded to Harry, "Can you please go to Madam Pomfrey?"

Harry bit his lip, "Am I in trouble?"

Minerva gave him an encouraging smile and gave him a gentle push toward the woman. "Of course not. She just needs to check something."

Reluctantly, Harry walked down to Madam Pomfrey.

She smiled warmly at him, "So, you're having some problems reading?" Harry gave a tiny shrug of his shoulders and kept his mouth clamped shut. She gave him a gentle pat on the head and then waved her wand in front of his eyes.

Harry's eyes grew wide when he saw a piece of parchment pop out of nowhere. He waited until she read it and then hurried back down to sit beside his mum.

Poppy stood and took the parchment to Minerva and Albus. "It does look like he has Dyslexia but in the wizarding world, that is now treatable. All I need to do is order a specific eye drop and it will go away. As soon as supper is finished I will go to my office and order it."

Albus gave her thanks and then watched as she walked back down to her seat.

"Am I going to die?" Harry whispered, terrified and confused.

Minerva forced herself not to smile, "No, dear. You are not going to die, I promise." Filling his plate with food, she handed him a fork and nodded toward the plate, "Please eat all of your supper." She glanced over at Severus and was relieved to see he was already eating.

Supper was a quiet and smooth time, much to Albus and Minerva's relief.

Once all the students left the Great Hall, Zachary stood and pulled Luna's chair out for her to stand. "Well, Luna needs to be in bed in an hour so we will be saying our goodbyes."

Harry and Severus immediately felt disappointed.

"Will we see her tomorrow?" Harry asked.

Zachary gave a shake of his head, "We will be leaving early tomorrow morning. I need to take her clothes shopping and then return her home."

"What about breakfast?" Severus questioned.

Luna gave a small smile, "Uncle Zachary always takes me to a cafe for breakfast."

Knowing her boys were starting to get sad, Minerva stood from her seat and said, "But you will see each other next weekend, correct?" She glanced at Zachary.

He nodded, "Correct. Patting Luna on the back, Zachary instructed, "Say goodnight to your friends, Luna."

Sighing, Luna glanced up at her uncle with pleading eyes, "Do I have to go to bed early?" At her uncle's stern look, Luna unwillingly walked over to her friends and gave them both hugs (much to Severus' surprise). "Goodnight. Thank you for all the fun today! I will see you next weekend."

Once the boys said their goodbyes, Albus and Minerva walked them home.

Flopping on the couch in the living room, Severus watched his father poke the wood in the fireplace, "What are we doing tomorrow?"

"Your father and I have a few meetings to attend to. You will be coming with us. After that, I have a detention to watch over and your father has to go to the Ministry of Magic."

Severus groaned, "So, nothing fun?"

Minerva sighed softly, "It will be what you make of it, Severus."

Changing the subject, Harry curled on the couch and stared off into the flames. "I wish Luna didn't have to go home to her awful parents."

Catching their attention, Minerva and Albus exchanged frowns and paid close attention to Harry's quiet little ramble.

"She should stay with Professor Reynes; he loves her and doesn't ignore her," Harry mumbled.

Severus sighed, "If you're going to speak then you need to stop mumbling!"

Albus and Minerva had successfully heard what Harry said and couldn't help but feel concerned. They have had their concerns about Luna's home-life but figured it was under control.

With one look exchanged between themselves, they already made a plan.

"Alright boys, go shower and brush your teeth. I want the two of you in bed within the hour," Minerva told them.

Severus groaned, "Why so early?"

"You are six-years old, Sev. Stop complaining and do as I say," Minerva reprimanded him.

Rolling his eyes, Severus jumped off the couch and stomped off to go shower.

* * *

Severus groaned as he heard Harry toss and turn for the umpteenth time. "Can you just lay still please?"

Harry bit his lip and tried to stop moving, "I'm scared." He held Max tight against his chest and kept his eyes clenched closed.

Severus rolled his eyes, "And I'm tired." When Harry went silent, Severus realized he could have been a little more understanding. _Dad wants me to try harder._ With a soft sigh, Severus moved over in his bed and patted the spot beside him, "Come on."

Smiling, Harry grabbed his pillow and jumped out of bed. He made sure Max was securely under his armpit before hurrying over to lay beside Severus.

Covering him up, Severus asked, "What are you scared of?"

"The trial. . ." Harry whispered.

Severus frowned, "What of it?"

Harry stayed silent for a few seconds before admitting, "I'm scared that my uncle will break through all the aurors and hurt me for getting him in trouble."

Severus sat up and stared down at him with a serious look. "First of all, Harry, you didn't get him in trouble. He got himself in trouble. You need to remember that. Secondly, mum and dad will die before they let anyone touch you. Have some faith. It'll all be okay." He laid back down and wiggled until he got comfortable.

Harry couldn't help but give a small smile, "Thank you, Severus."

With his eyes already closed, Severus turned on his side and muttered, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Go to sleep now."

With a small smile on his face, Harry closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take over.

* * *

Once they thought the boys were falling asleep, Albus called out to a house elf, "Dolce!"

She popped into the room and bowed low to her master, "What can Dolce do for Headmaster Dumbledore?"

"Will you please watch over the boys until we return? They should be falling asleep any minute," Albus explained.

Dolce gave a quick nod of her head, "Anything for Headmaster Dumbledore. I will protect them with my life!"

Minerva and Albus said their thanks and then left to walk down to Zachary's quarters.

Albus knocked on the mahogany door and patiently waited for a response. When the door opened revealing a tired Zachary, Albus apologized. "I am very sorry for the late visit but we need to talk to you about Luna."

Zachary groaned, "What did she do? I just got her tucked in for bed."

"No, no, she did nothing wrong," Minerva quickly explained.

"We are concerned about her safety while under the neglectful eye of her parents," Albus explained his concerns.

Opening the door the whole way, Zachary allowed them entrance. "Please come in."

They followed Zachary to the living room and sat down when asked to.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Zachary admitted, "I have my concerns as well. They are fun parents when they are not locked away in their offices but even then they are not healthy parents. She is practically being raised by a house elf on the weekdays and me on the weekends."

Minerva gave a small nod, "What are you going to do about it? I don't think I need to tell you this but something definitely needs changed. That little girl deserves better than what she is receiving."

Zachary let out a defeated sigh, "There is nothing I can do. Obviously I have sat down with them and talked to them about how they need to do more but they only follow my advice for a week and then they return to their neglectful routine."

With twinkling eyes, Albus asked, "Have you thought about taking over the custody of her? At least until they can learn to be better parents."

Zachary bit his lip, unsure. "I don't know if I could do that to my sister."

"Then do it for the safety of your niece," Minerva told him.

Zachary stayed silent for a little while before saying, "You're right. I will ask Luna what she wants in the morning."

Albus and Minerva smiled, happy that he was making the right decision.

"Let me know if you need help with the paperwork," Albus offered.

Before anyone could say anything else, Dolce popped into the room. "Young Master Harry is having a nightmare and I cannot wake the poor boy! Young Master Severus is trying now."

Concerned, they quickly said their goodbyes and disappeared through the fireplace. When they landed in their quarters they heard screaming coming from the boys' bedroom.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you liked this chapter. I ended it on a cliffhanger because I felt the chapter was getting way too big and I have major plans for Nightmare Land.**

 **Thanks again, Savoren.**


	13. Nightmare Land

**Chapter Thirteen:**

 **Nightmare Land**

 **A/N: Thank you for all the amazing reviews! I am going to keep updating this story until it is finished. It will be completed within one (not counting this chapter!) to two chapters. I am so glad you have enjoyed this story. Like I mentioned earlier, there will eventually be a sequel to this story where the boys are older. If you are not following me yet please do so you can see the sequel as soon as it's posted :)**

 **Thanks again,**

 **Savoren.**

With wide, concerned eyes Minerva and Albus rushed to Harry's side. When they entered the bedroom they noticed Severus shaking his brother, terrified tears staining his heated cheeks.

Minerva quickly grabbed Severus and pulled him away from the other screaming child. "Sev, sweetie, look at me." When he eyes finally met his scared ones, she quickly wiped away at his tears. "Daddy will help him, okay honey? Everything is going to be alright."

Severus gave a shake of his head. "No! He won't wake up! What if he never wakes up? I haven't been the best brother that I can be yet!"

Feeling her heart ache, Minerva pulled her scared son close to her chest and gently ran her fingers through his long, black hair. "You will have that chance, Sev. Daddy will get him to wake up." She glanced over to her husband and watched as he waved his wand over Harry's thriving body. "Severus, honey, will you please go to mummy and daddy's bedroom?"

Severus gave a small shake of his head, not wanting to leave his brother. "I want to stay!"

Giving a firm shake of her head, Minerva stood from her kneeling position. "No, you have seen enough, Severus." Taking his hand she led him across the hall and tucked him into their bed. Waving her wand, she successfully placed a silencing spell around the room so he no longer heard Harry's horrifying screams. "Dolce!"

Dolce popped to her side, "How is young Master Harry, Mistress? What can Dolce do to help?"

"I need you to stay in this room with Severus. Keep him calm," Minerva instructed.

Severus gave an angry shake of his head and threw the covers off of himself. "No! I don't wanna stay here! Mummy don't leave me!"

Minerva sighed softly, "Severus I need you to be a big boy for me, alright? I need to go assist your father. Please make this easy for me, Sev."

Hot tears welled up in his onyx eyes. "But it's my fault. I knew he was scared and I let him fall asleep anyway."

Minerva frowned, "That doesn't make this your fault, sweetie. He will wake up and be perfectly fine but you need to let me go help your father, alright?"

Sniffling, Severus grabbed the blankets and pulled them back over himself. He kept his eyes down and gave a tiny nod of his head, "Okay."

Smiling softly, Minerva re-tucked him into bed and placed a loving kiss to the top of his head. "Thank you, Sev. I will come over and check on you after a while, alright? If you get tired don't be afraid to fall asleep, I will wake you when he wakes up."

Shrugging off her kiss, Severus laid down on the bed and covered his head with the blankets.

Knowing he was pouting, Minerva patted his knee and stood to leave. "Come over to us if you need anything, Dolce."

"Yes Mistress. Dolce will take good care of young Master Severus," Dolce told her and then crawled up to sit on the bed next to the six-year old.

Satisfied that he would be alright, Minerva left the room and locked the door behind her (not trusting that Severus' pouting wouldn't turn into an attention tantrum where he tries to leave the house).

When she entered the boys' bedroom she immediately noticed that Harry was bound to the bed and was no longer screaming.

Hearing her enter, Albus turned to look at her, worry evident in his blue eyes. "I bound him so he wouldn't hurt himself. I also gave him a honey potion to soothe his throat. I can't wake him up, Min. He is trapped in his nightmare."

Horrified by that idea, Minerva hurried to her son's side and gently took his cold hand in her own. "What are we going to do? How do we get him out of his nightmare?"

"I am going to enter his mind and assist him," Albus informed him.

Minerva frowned, "You know as well as I do how dangerous that is, Albus. If the entrance closes you will both be stuck forever."

Albus took her shaking hand and placed a light kiss to it, "I know what I am doing, Min. I am aware of how dangerous occlumency is on a person who is stuck in a nightmare but I also know that it is possible."

Minerva worried on her bottom lip and looked at her son, "And there is no other way?"

Albus sighed, "We could wait it out and see if he can escape on his own but that could take a long time. Time in dreams and nightmares is different than in real life. What feels like only ten minutes in a dream or nightmare is actually eight hours."

"I don't like this at all, Albus," Minerva snapped.

"I know, Min. You need to have faith in me though. I know what I am doing and I will wake our son," Albus eyed her, trying to decide if she was going to have a melt down or if she was going to be alright with this.

Closing her eyes, Minerva gently took hold of her son's cold hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Alright. What do we need to do?"

Glad that she didn't have a melt down, Albus transfigured a desk chair into a recliner and sat it beside the bed. Sitting down, he pointed his wand at his son and whispered "Legilimency."

Minerva watched as his wand fell from his limp hands. Her heart beat immediately started to race as she looked between the sleeping father and son. "Please be safe, Albus."

* * *

Albus found himself in a pitch black abyss, the only thing standing out is a tiny white door. Gathering all of his courage, Albus headed toward the door. It felt like as soon as he got closer to the door, the door would move further away. After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the white door and frowned as he saw two scribbled words in red crayon: Harry's room.

Twisting the creaking handle, he pulled the door open and immediately felt blinded by a stinging white light. When his eyes finally adjusted to the burning light, Albus noticed he was standing in, what looked like, the Dursley's living room. Turning to look at the white door, he frowned as he looked at the entrance to the cupboard under the stairs.

Forcing himself to not linger, Albus grabbed a chair from the kitchen and propped it in front of the entrance so the door would not close. Turning back around, he frowned when he noticed the television was flickering on and off, flashing a picture of a bloody clown.

 _Where are his relatives?_ Albus wondered as he wandered around the downstairs. _Better yet, where is Harry?_

Re-entering the kitchen, Albus took the time to look around this time. He frowned when he noticed pots and pans on the stove, all of them were either boiling over or smoking from the food burning. When he looked away from the busy stove he noticed a rusted chain on the refrigerator, keeping it firmly closed. A bucket of boiling water and a mop sat next to the refrigerator. When he bent over to get a closer inspection of the bucket, he noticed a water-resistant flame at the bottom of the bucket, keeping the water boiling.

He couldn't help but frown as he glanced around the rest of the kitchen: the sink was filled to the ceiling with food-covered, moldy dishes. Around the table sat four chairs but the fourth was covered in dirty nails and glass shards.

Before he could wonder more on the kitchen seat a flash of light flickered in from the backdoor window and then the house shook with tremendous strength before a curdling boom reached his ears. Hurrying to look out the back door, he noticed a down-pour of rain. The black sky was filled with lightning. The thunder was so loud he could barely hear himself think.

Squinting, he tried to see what else was going on outside. Finally deciding to just open the door, Albus left the backdoor open and stepped out into the rain. The rain burned his skin as it landing on him. Gasping, he jumped back into the doorway and watched as the steaming rain poured down. Looking out into the yard, Albus squinted more and noticed a huge, overgrown garden. After closer inspection he noticed Harry down on his hands and knees, hopelessly pulling out weed after weeds. As soon as the poor boy would pull out one weed, another would immediately grow in it's place.

"Harry!" Albus called out to him. Relief flooded over him as the lad stopped pulling weeds and turned to stare at him. Just as the boy stood to come to him, he disappeared. Albus frowned and ran out into the hot rain, panicked as he tried to find him again. After his skin was already red, he gave up and hurried back into the house, soaked from the volcanic rain.

Rushing back into the living room, Albus froze when he noticed Dudley sitting on the couch, his mud-covered shoes laid on top of the coffee table. The boy held Max in his one hand and mud-covered scissors in the other. With horror, Albus watched as Dudley started cutting limbs off the stuffed bear. Reaching out for Max before the brat could decapitate the poor bear, Albus snapped, "Stop it!" He took a quick step back as Dudley's red eyes snapped up to glower at him. He quickly side-stepped as Dudley pitched the scissors at him. Once the scissors fell to the floor, Albus looked back to where the little monster had been sitting and gave a small, frustrated shake of his head when he noticed Dudley had disappeared too.

Stuffing Max in his robe pocket, Albus glared at the living room. The room looked like a normal, friendly family area until you look closer. The television had stopped flickering and the picture of the bloody clown was frozen on the screen. Not a single picture of young Harry graced the walls. The only pictures were of Dudley or the family. He shuddered as he noticed the eyes on the pictures moved as he moved and the books on the bookcase oozed blood on to the floor.

Remembering Harry had noticed when he called to him last time, Albus tried it again. "Harry! Where are you son?"

Hearing a blood-curdling scream coming from upstairs, Albus rushed to the staircase and stopped himself before running up. He eyed the broken staircase closely, wondering which steps he could put his weight on without them breaking through to the basement. Hearing another scream, Albus gave up trying to figure the rotten staircase out and just ran up the stairs. He heard as some of the steps broke free and fell to an abyss.

When he reached the top of the staircase, he stopped and listened. Shivers ran up his spine as he heard whispered echoes floating around him, "Freak." He forced himself to ignore the echoes and started down the hall. "Harry? Make another noise, son!" No sooner had the last word escaped his mouth, Harry's screams started up again along with desperate pounding on the loo door. Turning in that direction, he ignored the other doors that looked as if they were breathing and hurried down the hall. Just like when he tried to reach the white door, as soon as he thought he was getting closer to the loo, the loo would go further away.

Hearing a low growl coming from behind him, Albus stopped to turn and see what was coming toward him next. He braced himself for an attack as he watched a bulldog slowly make it's way toward him, slobber and blood oozed out of its open mouth.

"HELP ME!" Albus spun to look at the loo door, hearing Harry call out for the first time. Momentarily forgetting about the dog, Albus turned and ran until he finally reached the loo door. When he tried to open it he found the door was covered in a multitude of different pad locks. "Harry! It's okay son, daddy is here! Are you alright?" Albus called out to him as he tried each of the locks to see if he could break them.

Harry didn't respond, he only continued to pound on the door and scream.

Hearing heavy footsteps coming down the hall, Albus looked to see who was coming now. He felt his heart clench in fear as he watched Vernon Dursley making his way down the hall, a stud covered belt in his one hand. The bulldog followed obediently at his ankles.

"Don't come any closer!" Albus placed himself firmly in front of the loo door, blocking it from Vernon's entrance.

It seemed as if Vernon hadn't even heard him as he continued straight toward the door. Albus tried to forcibly make him stop but the man and dog walked straight through him and into the loo. Albus was forced out of his shocked stance as he heard Harry's horrible screams. The sound of a whip slashing through the air echoed around the hallway.

Panicked, Albus pounded on the door. "Don't touch him! Harry! Harry can you hear me?!"

The sounds stopped for a brief moment and Albus heard Harry cry out, "Daddy help me!"

"He can't help you, Freak! YOU are the only one that can help yourself! You want me to stop? Stop me! You want this to go away? Stop it! This is YOUR mind, Freak! If you haven't figured that out yet, you're more stupid than I thought!" No sooner did Vernon stop talking, the sound of the whip started again.

Albus thought about what Vernon had said as he ran to a bedroom. Seeing Petunia sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the television he asked, "Why are you letting this happen?"

Petunia didn't even turn to look at him. She simply pointed to her bed-stand where a hammer sat. "HE is the one letting this happen." With that, she turned her red eyes at him and disappeared.

Grabbing the hammer, Albus hurried back to the loo door and started hitting the pad locks with the hammer. "Harry! Tell him to stop! You can do this, son!"

"S-s-stop!" Harry cried out.

Vernon laughed, "Your fear feeds me, Freak. So long as you're afraid, I can continue to beat you to a pulp."

Hearing Harry's heart-wrenching sobs, Albus started hitting the locks with all of his might. As soon as the first one broke off and hit the floor, another lock appeared in it's place.

"It's not your place to save him. He must save himself," Petunia told him in a monotone voice behind him.

Turning, breathing heavy from hitting the locks so hard, Albus glared at her and Dudley. "I'm his father! I should be able to save him from anything."

"You know you can't," Petunia told him in a serious voice.

Dudley smirked at him and tossed one of Max's legs up in the air, caught it and threw it back up again.

Reaching in his robe pocket, he gave Max a comforting squeeze and turned back to face the loo door. "Harry, don't be afraid. This is all a nightmare, son. You can stop this if you wake up!"

Again, Vernon laughed. "Even if you wake up, I will stay with you. I will haunt your mind for the rest of your life, reminding you how pathetic you are and how no one loves you!"

Albus pounded on the door with both of his hands, "That's not true, Harry! You ARE loved! You have a family that is waiting for you! We want you to wake up, son!"

The sounds stopped for a moment and Harry said, "It feels real."

"It's not, Harry! This is a nightmare! The pain and fear are all fake! Push him away from you, son! You CAN do this! Push him and tell him you're not afraid of him! Don't let him control you!" Albus desperately yelled.

"But I am afraid!" Harry yelled back.

Vernon chuckled, "As you will be for the rest of your life."

"I know, son. I know you're afraid," Albus whispered. He laid his head against the loo door, not knowing how to fix this.

The whipping and screams re-started and Albus raised his head, trying one more time. "Harry, listen to me! It's okay to be afraid of him. You have a family that loves you and won't let him hurt you. You're afraid that he will get to you at the trial on Monday, right?" He didn't wait for a response, "Your uncle is your very own monster. In the bedtime stories I read you at night, how do the knights beat the monsters?"

The sounds stopped again as Harry focused on thinking about the answer to his father's question. "The knights kill the monsters."

Albus nodded, "Or they show the monster that they are not afraid of them. When the monster sees that the knights aren't afraid what do the monsters do? You know this son, I know you do!"

Silence pricked at Albus' ears before he heard a small voice say, "They go find someone else to scare."

Albus smiled, "Your monster thinks he can control you. He thinks he owns you because of your fear. As soon as you show him that he can't control you, he will no longer feel mighty. He will disappear, Harry. Your monster is your bully. Take away his strength and there is nothing left for him to feed on."

Silence fell over the usually noisy house for almost five minutes before each of the locks faded and disappeared. Seeing the locks disappear, Albus hurried to open the loo door and enter. He found Harry unmarked on the loo floor. Kneeling, he gently helped Harry sit up. "Are you alright, son?"

Opening his eyes, Harry looked around himself and gave a small smile when he noticed his monster was gone. He then looked down at his body and frowned when he no longer saw the blood. "I'm okay, dad."

Standing, Albus leaned down and picked his son up. "I knew you could do it, Harry."

Hiding his face in his father's neck so he wouldn't see the rest of his fears throughout the house, Harry whispered, "Can we go home now?"

Albus smiled and nodded, carrying his son down the rotted staircase. "Of course, son." Moving the chair away from the doorway to the cupboard under the stairs, Albus entered the black abyss and closed the door behind him. Not knowing where to walk to, he walked straight.

* * *

Poppy jumped up off her chair when she noticed them both open their eyes. She immediately started putting diagnostic spells over them to make sure they were healthy.

Albus pushed her hands away, looking for his wife. "Where is Minerva? How long were we out?"

"She is getting Severus ready for the trial. You have been out for 35 hours," Poppy explained. She nodded, satisfied when both of their diagnostics came back good.

With wide eyes, Harry looked over at his father, "I don't understand what happened, daddy."

Albus glanced to Poppy.

Taking the hint, Poppy gathered her supplies and went to aid Minerva.

Standing, Albus moved to sit beside his son. "You were trapped in your nightmare. We were both asleep for a very long time. It is now Monday and," looking at the clock on the wall, Albus sighed softly, "the trial for your aunt and uncle will be starting in less than three hours."

Harry bit his bottom lip, "What if I'm not ready?"

Pulling him close, Albus gave him a half-hug. "If you weren't ready, son, we would still be in your nightmare."

Harry dropped his eyes, "What if I become afraid again when I see him?"

Albus gently rubbed his back in a soothing motion, "Then you have your family to protect you and remind you why you do not have to be afraid."

Closing his eyes, Harry moved to lay his head against his father's chest, "Thank you."

Smiling, Albus pressed a soft kiss to the top of Harry's head, "Always, my son."

Entering the bedroom, Minerva smiled brightly at the sight of her husband and son. "Thank goodness you're awake! I was starting to think you would miss the trial." Walking over, Minerva uncovered Harry and gently wiped away the sleep dust from his emerald eyes, "I love you, Harry."

Wrapping his arms around his mother, Harry couldn't help but smile. "I love you too, mum."

Glancing over at her husband, she smiled as she watched him hide a yawn. "After 34 hours of sleep and you're still tired?" She gave an amused shake of her head before turning back to her six-year old. "Do you think you're ready for this?"

Glancing at his dad, Harry gave a nod of his head. "I'm ready. He can't scare me unless I let him."

Relieved, Minerva pulled him into a tight hug and kissed the top of his head, "That's my strong boy!" Leaving go, she glanced between the two and then at the clock, "You both need to get cleaned up and dressed. I also want to get real food into your tummies before we leave."

Nodding, Albus stood and helped Harry out of bed, "I will help him get cleaned up."

Minerva couldn't help but smile as she watched father and son leave the bedroom. Turning to the closet, she started picking out Harry's outfit for the day.

"Mum can I help?" Severus asked from the doorway.

Smiling, Minerva nodded and silently motioned for him to come to her side. "Go ahead and pick out his outfit, Sev." She let him do that while she went and grabbed a pair of underpants and socks from the dresser.

With the outfit picked out, Severus laid it on his brother's bed and turned to look at his mum, "If Harry falls asleep again will he wake up by himself?"

Minerva nodded, "I don't foresee anymore problems for a while, Sev."

Severus let out a breath of relief, "Good." Grabbing Max off of Harry's bed, he held it close to himself, "We can't let him forget about Max today, mum."

Minerva nodded in agreement, "Why don't you take care of Max until we leave?"

Severus smiled determined to be a better brother this time around. "I can do that."

Ruffling his hair, Minerva headed for the door, "Come on, will you help me make food for the sleepyheads?"

Severus hurried after her, keeping Max firmly in his arms.

 **A/N: I know this was a different kind of chapter but I hope you liked it anyway. I know parts of it were cheesy and kind of crazy but, remember, this chapter's main setting is nightmare land.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Savoren.**


	14. Dreams Do Come True

**Chapter Fourteen:**  
 **Dreams Do Come True**

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing! This is the last chapter of this story and I hope you love it!**

 **Savoren.**

Harry glanced around the table and felt his tummy warm as his adopted parents smiled back at him.

Harry dropped his eyes to his empty plate. He couldn't help but let his smile grow as he thought about how much his life has changed. _My tummy is full, my clothes fit, Max is happy and I am loved. What did I do to deserve this kind of life? I was always told how bad I am and then I ran away and my life got flipped upside down. Max and I should have ran away a long time ago if this is the outcome._

"Do you want more breakfast, Harry?" Albus asked as he re-filled Severus' glass of milk.

Harry gave a shake of his head and looked toward his brother. _I also never thought I would have a brother. He's kind of a jerk sometimes but other times he's great. The other night he even let me sleep in his bed with him!_

Finishing the last bite of his breakfast, Severus leaned back and gently patted his full belly. "What is the run-down for the day?"

With a flick of his wand the table cleared. "Well, now that we are done eating we need to go to the Ministry of Magic."

Severus sighed, "I know all of that. What about after the trial?"

"We are going out to eat and then home." Minerva eyed her son curiously. "Why do you ask?"

"Well I was thinking that, as a present for winning the trial (because obviously those monsters are guilty) we could go to the magical animal center and adopt a pet." He leveled both of his parents with his best begging face.

Harry's eyes lit up at the idea, "Please?"

Minerva and Albus exchanged identical looks.

Albus gave a small shake of his head, "We have already discussed this boys. We do not have time to care for a pet. If you want to play with a dog then you may go to Hagrid's."

Hearing that, Harry immediately gave up the idea.

Severus, on the other hand, fought on. "I read in a book last night that it is statistically proven to help children gain responsibility. Can we get a pet if we are completely responsible for it?"

Minerva and Albus exchanged another look and then Minerva said, "We will think about it." Changing the subject, she pointed towards the loo. "Go clean your faces off, we need to leave very shortly." Once both boys disappeared into the loo she smirked at Albus, "If he wants responsibility we could always give them chores."

Albus chuckled, "He has a point, Min. The boys have asked a few times now if they could get a dog."

Minerva frowned, "Are you actually thinking about this?"

Albus nodded. "It would do them good. They are six, I believe they could handle the responsibility. When I was six my parents gave me my first owl."

Sighing, Minerva gave him an annoyed look. "And if they cannot handle the responsibility?" She didn't wait for a response, "If they become lazy or cannot handle it then on top of everything else we already have, we will have a pet to take care of too."

Albus gave a small nod, understanding where she was coming from. "I honestly think the boys can handle it, Min."

Giving up, Minerva muttered, "Fine. But if they cannot handle the responsibility then you will be hte one taking care of it."

Albus smirked, "Yes, love."

They fell into a comfortable silence as they waited for Harry and Severus to finish cleaning themselves up.

Hearing the boys returning to the kitchen, Albus grabbed Max and stood from the table. He gave them both warm smiles when they arrived. "Are you ready?"

Harry gave a nervous nod. Seeing Max in his father's arms, Harry hurried over and clutched Max tight against his chest.

"We're ready. I was telling Harry to not be afraid because if they try anything I'll beat them up for him," Severus explained with a satisfied look on his face.

Albus forced himself not to smile, "You, in particular, will not beat them up, Sev. The authorities will take care of everything. You are very safe, Harry."

Standing from the table, Minerva double-checked to make sure she had all of Harry's paperwork in her bag before heading toward the living room and called over her shoulder, "We need to leave."

Harry and Severus hurried after their parents but just as they were about to enter the fireplace Peeves flew in through the front door.

Albus stopped himself from dropping the powder. "Yes, Peeves?"

Peeves hurried to Harry's side, knowing they needed to leave soon. "I just wanted to tell you good luck and I will see you later."

Harry smiled, "Thanks Peeves."

Peeves nodded, a satisfied smile on his face. "Also, don't be afraid or nervous either. You have a lot of people who love you and will take good care of you."

Albus and Minerva exchanged smiles.

Harry felt his father gently squeeze his shoulder. "Thanks Peeves. When I come home later hopefully we can play."

Albus gave a small nod, "We really must be leaving though. I do not want to be late." As soon as Peeves said his goodbyes, ALbus held on to his family and dropped the floo powder.

When they exited the fireplace, Albus immediately scanned the crowded hall looking for the red hair of Arthur Weasley. He spotted him standing near the center statue. "Boys, take one of our hands."

Harry immediately took hold of Minerva's hand, hating crowds.

Severus frowned, "That's embarrassing. We're too old to hold your hand."

Albus turned and leveled him with a stern look. "You would be more embarrassed if I warmed your bottom right here in front of everyone."

Taking the threat seriously, Severus grumbled under his breath and took hold of his father's hand.

Albus immediately started pushing his way through the sea of people. When they reached Arthur he gave him a firm handshake and a welcoming smile. "Thank you again for doing this, Arthur. We really appreciate it."

Arthur waved his thanks off and smiled at the boys, "I'm happy to do it. Besides, I know the boys would be more comfortable around someone they know instead of a random worker."

Kneeling down, she pressed a gentle kiss to both of their foreheads (ignoring Severus' groan and blushing cheeks). "Alright boys, I want you to behave for Mr. Weasley. Your father and I will see you in a bit."

Arthur waited patiently for the boys to say their goodbyes and then, taking both of their hands, led them away from the busy room and toward a staircase. "You're going to love the playroom there are many toys that I just know you'll enjoy!"

Harry looked around himself in awe as he hurried to keep up with Arthur's long strides. Both the walls and the floor is a grey marble. Decorating the walls are paintings of elderly people (most of whom are sleeping). Harry assumed these people must have done something important for the Ministry.

"How much further is the playroom?" Severus questioned as they took a right turn.

"Not much further, Severus." Arthur opened a set of double-doors and waited for the boys to enter.

Harry sighed as he looked at the huge staircase. "How come these stairs don't float like the ones at Hogwarts?"

Arthur smiled and started up the stairs, "Because Hogwarts is cooler than the Ministry."

The boys exchanged amused looks and followed on quietly until they reached a bright blue door with rainbow letters that spelled 'PLAYROOM'.

Placing his hand on the door, Arthur watched as his hand started to glow red. After a few moments of keeping his hand firmly on the door, it unlocked and gave them entrance.

Severus stared at the door curiously, "Why did it do that?"

"This room is the safest room in the Ministry. This morning I had to go to the Minister and he had to put my hand in the registry. My hand then became the key to open the door. After your parents sign you out of the Ministry then my hand will no longer work to unlock the door." Arthur held the door open for the boys to go in.

"That is so cool!" Severus exclaimed. He waited for Harry to enter the room first before following him in.

Harry stopped in the center of the room and looked around himself. His heart started to hammer away with excitement. _This is the coolest room ever!_

Each of the walls are a different color. The floor is a soft green carpet. A lounge chair sat on one side of the room and the rest of the room was filled with every toy imaginable. Plus, much to the boys' excitement, on the far side of the room is a real tree with a tree house and a rope swing hanging off a branch!

Severus immediately ran over to a huge bookshelf and started scanning the spines. Grabbing a book, he crawled on top of a huge stuffed turtle and laid down.

Arthur smiled as he watched Harry running from toy to toy, eyes huge with excitement.

Harry finally settled on a coloring book and motioned for Arthur to join him. "Will you color with me?"

Nodding, Arthur walked over to the small table and sat down to color.

* * *

Coloring and reading only lasted for a little bit before both grew bored. Harry started playing in the tree house while Severus and Arthur played wizarding chess.

Arthur went silent when he heard a knock on the door. He couldn't help but frown. The trial had only started about twenty minutes ago so they're definitely not at a recess nor a verdict.

"Who is it?" Severus asked as he took Arthur's pawn.

Arthur didn't answer, instead he tapped his wand on the door causing it to become see-through. "Who are you?"

Looking through the door, Harry and Severus jumped to their feet. "It's Professor Reynes!"

Arthur eyed the man. He personally never met Severus' replacement. "How can I be sure?"

Zachary had anticipated this and smiled at the boys. "You do not have have to give me entrance, Mr. Weasley. Thank you for protecting the boys. I just wanted to stop by and check on them before I leave to go get Luna."

Severus frowned, "Why are you going to get Luna? I thought she only came on the weekends?"

Zachary smiled, "That is why I came to the Ministry of Magic. Today I was given Luna's temporary guardianship." His smile grew as he watched their eyes light up with excitement.

"So we get to see her all the time?!" Harry exclaimed, too excited to say anything else.

Zachary gave a nod, "Of course. She will be living at Hogwarts with us, after all."

Severus smiled softly, "Congratulations, Professor."

"Enough of that title, boys. You may call me Uncle Zachary, if you want?" Zachary offered.

Severus and Harry exchanged smiles.

"Okay!" Severus beamed. _This is the best day ever!_

Smiling at them through the door, Zachary turned to face his attention to Arthur. "Keep them safe for me. I need to retrieve Luna now." Looking only at Harry, he added, "Keep your head up, buddy. Today is a good day."

Smiling, Harry waved his goodbyes as Zachary disappeared and Arthur returned the door from being invisible.

They all returned to doing what they had been doing before the visit from Zachary. They remained content for a solid hour before another knock on the door interrupted them.

Standing from his sitting spot on the floor, Arthur stretched out his muscles and walked over to the door. Making the door invisible, he smiled in welcome at Alastor. "Password."

"Fizzles," Alastor answered with an amused smirk on his face.

Satisfied, Arthur placed his hand on the door and waited patiently for it to glow and open for Alastor.

Harry held Max tight against his chest as he stared at the Auror with a scar across his face and a spinning eye. He could feel Severus inch closer to him as they listened to Arthur and the man whisper at the door.

Feeling eyes on them, Arthur turned and offered the six-year olds smiles, "Boys, this is Alastor Moody. He will be escorting you down to the courtroom."

"You're not coming with us?" Harry asked, a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"No. I have to return to work. Mr. Moody is a nice guy though and will keep you safe."

Alastor tried to keep his smile soft and encouraging, "The court went into a ten minute recess boys. I was told to come get you. When the recess ends it will be time for the verdict to be announced." Seeing that they both looked uneasy still, he added, "I know you've never met me but I know your parents very well."

Severus gave a nod toward Harry, almost as if giving permission to go with the man.

Harry quietly followed the mad-eyed man out of the playroom. He felt Severus right next to him and couldn't help but feel safer. He gently rubbed Max's belly and mentally told himself that everything was going to work out.

As the walk continued on, Harry slowly began growing uneasy.

Alastor stopped in front of the courtroom doors. Looking down at Harry he asked, "Are you ready?" At Harry's nervous nod, Alastor gave him a small smile, "That'a boy."

As soon as the door opened Harry felt nauseous and it felt like his legs were frozen in place.

Severus looked around the crowded courtroom for their parents. He spotted them in the front row, his father stood and beckoned toward them.

Taking Harry's hand in his own, Severus whispered, "Don't be afraid."

Taking in a shaky breath, Harry squeezed his brother's hand in response and allowed Alastor to escort them to their parents. When they reached their parents, their father helped them sit down and their mother immediately placed a loving kiss to their foreheads.

"Recess is almost over. As soon as everyone returns the Minister will be giving the verdict," Albus explained to them in a whisper.

Holding Max on his lap, Harry felt his breath catch in his throat as he watched the doors open. The Minister returned to his seat at the front of the room and two aurors escorted his aunt and uncle to their seats.

Harry could feel their eyes burrowing into his head and he knowingly kept his head down, clutching Max tight against his chest. _They can no longer hurt me_ , Harry mentally reminded himself.

"And the verdict is. . . " The Minister started saying, catching Harry's attention.

Harry felt Severus squeeze his hand harder and Harry forced himself to look up at the Minister, waiting for him to say the life-changing word.

"Petunia Dusley and Vernon Dursley, the court has found you guilty on all accounts!" The room erupted in applause and the Minister immediately tried to silence them. "Petunia Dursley: you are charged with neglect and putting a child in danger. You are hereby sentenced to twenty years in Azkaban. Vernon Dursley: you are charged with child abuse, neglect, putting a child in danger and for the attempt of trying to destroy a wizard's magical core. You are hereby sentenced to life in Azkaban."

As the cheers erupted again around him, Harry stayed silent. With all of his courage he moved his eyes from the Minister and looked between his aunt and uncle. He could practically feel the rage radiating off them. Part of him immediately wanted to look away but another part wanted to show them that their glares could no longer paralyze him.

He remained keeping eye contact as two aurors flicked their wands, shackling their arms and legs. "Move," The one auror barked at his uncle.

Harry watched on in awe as the auror started walking them toward the exit.

Vernon struggled with the auror as he glared one last time at Harry, "You deserved everything, Freak! You better pray I don't ever escape because if I do I'll kill you!"

Harry leveled him with a calm look, he could feel Severus' death grip on his hand. Keeping his voice from shaking, Harry responded, "I'm no longer afraid of you." This statement only seemed to enrage his uncle further and Harry watched on as the auror put a silencing spell on him and forced him out of the courtroom. Harry continued to watch on as the door swung shut behind them.

Leaving go of Harry's hand, Seveurs turned to look at his mum and dad. "Can we go get lunch now?" Severus asked as his tummy grumbled hungrily.

Minerva smirked, "Yes. There is a restaurant in Diagon Alley that I have been craving."

Noticing how silent Harry is, Minerva knelt and gently squeezed his hand. "What is wrong love?"

Harry nibbled on his bottom lip and whispered, "I feel like I stole Dudley's mum and dad from him."

Minerva gave a firm shake of her head. "No, they did that to themselves son."

Harry dropped his eyes, "Yeah I guess but that doesn't make me feel less bad for him."

Albus rubbed Harry's back. "I know son. Just know that Dudley is better in his aunt's hands. Come on, let's go eat."

Harry gave a small nod, "Alright." Taking his father's hand, he walked with his family out of the courtroom and into the corridor. He immediately felt blinded by a thousand flashes. Hiding his face against his dad's side, he clenched his eyes shut and trusted that his dad would lead them away from all the flashing cameras.

When they arrived at the restaurant they chose a booth hidden in the back in an attempt to avoid any more nosy press members.

"What can I get for you today?" A waitress came up to them and asked, a huge smile plastered on her face.

Severus blushed and immediately hid his face behind Harry.

Smirking, Albus answered the waitress. "I need two kid's meals. Both will get the chicken fingers with mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts. I will get the salmon with mashed potatoes and asparagus and she will take the grilled chicken salad, house dressing and a baked potato on the side please."

Minerva smiled warmly at her husband, "I love how you always know my order." Looking at the waitress, she added, "Four waters and two hot teas please."

"I want coffee too!" Severus added.

Albus chuckled and shook his head at the waitress, "Four waters and two hot teas will do fine, thank you." He watched as the waitress left before turning to Severus, "Why were you suddenly so shy when she first got here?"

Harry smirked, "He thinks she's pretty!"

Severus glared at him, "Shut up, Harry!"

Minerva held in her groan, "How do you know if someone is pretty, Sev? You're six."

"Well, I think you're pretty mum. I'm smart! I know if someone is pretty or not," Severus told her knowingly.

Minerva's heart melted, "Thank you love."

Changing the subject, Severus asked, "Did you think about whether we can get a pet or not?"

Minerva and Albus exchanged smirks. "Yes, we have thought about it," Albus told them.

Severus and Harry's eyes lit up with excitement. "And your answer?" Severus pressed.

Minerva gave a nod of her head. "We will go to the shop after we eat if you both behave yourselves." Both cheered with excitement and, holding back her soft laughs, she motioned for them to quiet down, "A pet takes a lot of work though. I want to make sure the two of you are willing and ready to take care of it."

Both nodded their heads firmly and Albus took over. "You will need to feed the pet every day. You will need to clean up after it. Bathe it and play with it. Any destruction the pet creates will be yours to clean up. Are you willing to accept that responsibility?"

"Yes sir!" Harry and Severus exclaimed at the same time.

"Then it is set. We will go pick out a pet after we eat." Albus watched as the waitress brought their drinks.

"There is a man with a camera who wants to come back to you. I told him no but he insisted that I asked you," The waitress explained.

Albus smiled at her thankfully. "Thank you for not allowing him to come back. We would like to eat and celebrate in peace."

The waitress nodded and disappeared.

Once they were alone again, Albus looked over at Harry and noticed him playing with one of Max's ears. "Would you like us to fix Max for you?"

Harry shook his head and looked up from Max. "Thank you but no. Max is perfect just the way he is."

Severus rolled his eyes, "If you say so."

"Behave or we will not be going to the pet shop," Minerva firmly reminded Severus.

Sitting straighter in his seat, Severus immediately apologized to his brother.

When the food arrived they all began eating. The boys loved their food except the brussels sprouts, neither wanted to even touch one of those!

"I order them because I want you to try new things," Albus explained softly as he watched their noses turn up in disgust. "Eat three of them and then you may be done."

Groaning softly, Harry stabbed one of the brussels sprouts with his fork and popped it in his mouth. He chewed quickly and swallowed. He did this with all three brussels sprouts and then gulped down his water. Looking over at Severus he noticed he still hadn't touched his vegetables.

Nudging him, Harry whispered, "Eat them or we won't be going to the pet shop."

Acting as if he were being murdered, Severus followed Harry's directions and ate them quickly.

The waitress re-appeared, "Are you ready for your desert now?"

Severus and Harry's eyes lit up with excitement.

"We get desert?!" Severus questioned, no longer feeling full.

Albus nodded to the waitress and watched as she went to the back and brought out the cake.

The waitress placed the cake in front of Harry and lit the one candle. "I just wanted to say, congratulations on winning the trial." Looking to Albus and Minerva, she added, "You have an adorable little family."

Harry smiled as he looked at the the scrumptious looking cake.

"Make a wish, son." Minerva directed him as she began handing out the plates. She handed Albus the knife, letting him be in charge of cutting the cake into pieces.

Harry nibbled on his bottom lip as he stared at the dancing flame. "I don't have anymore wishes though. All of my dreams have already come true. . ."

Minerva's eyes immediately stung with happy tears. "We love you, son."

Before Harry could reply, Severus leaned forward and blew the flame out. "I still have tons of wishes left!"

Albus and Minerva stared at Severus, stunned. Not knowing if he should reprimand Severus or let him be, Albus simply pulled the cake towards himself and started cutting it into little slices.

Harry couldn't help but laugh and shake his head, "I hope your wish comes true, Sev."

Giggling, Severus smirked, "I stole your wish, Harry."

Glancing at his mum, Harry replied, "You probably needed it more anyway."

Minerva shook her head in amusement and leaned back, watching her small family interact. _Life cannot get better than this._

 _And they all lived happily ever after. . ._

 **A/N: I'm so glad you have followed me on this journey. I've never written a "age under 11" story and multiple times I debated giving up on the story but with all of your support, I can now proudly say that My Own Family is complete.**

 **Savoren.**


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